Small parts
For toddlers and babies, small parts can pose a choking risk.
Natasha says: "We found a number of toys that failed due to small parts, either because they came with small parts and then were not labelled as not suitable for under threes or they broke easily on testing and then had small broken parts.
"This is a risk to the youngest children as babies and toddlers tend to put things in their mouths, which causes a risk of the child choking on the small, loose part."
She adds that toys with small parts "should be clearly marked as not suitable for 0-3-year-olds and should not break easily."
Products found to be unsafe due to small parts included a light-up teddy bear, an animal backpack and a bath toy.
Scorching electrical devices
They're a popular item among teen girls.
But the investigation uncovered dangerous hair straighteners that became too hot near where youngsters were supposed to hold them.
If used, the straighteners risked burning the user's hands or face. Because of this, they failed the electrical toy safety standard.
Natasha adds: "We also found electrical toys where the batteries become too hot."
Damaging chemicals
The chemical phthalate is used to make plastic soft and flexible - but it has been limited to 0.1 per cent in toys by the EU due to health fears.
However, the BTHA investigation found restricted phthalates in a number of toys - including a crawling doll set with accessories sold on eBay.
It also uncovered lead in products.
"These substances can cause long-term chronic conditions if children are exposed to them," says Natasha.
Last year, a lightsaber toy was pulled off sale by Amazon after silver paint used on it was found to contain poisonous lead.
There were fears young kids - who absorb more lead than adults due to their growing bones and other organs - would put it in their mouths.
Lead poisoning can permanently affect a youngster's development.
In extreme cases, it can cause convulsions and death.
Plastic bags
It's a risk many parents wouldn't think of.
The plastic bags that come with toys might not be as appealing to kids as the products themselves, but they can still end up suffocating them.
Natasha explains: "Plastic bags supplied with toys must be over a minimum thickness to ensure they do not draw onto a child’s face and suffocate them.
"We found many toys with over-thin bags which present a suffocation risk."
One bath toy, deemed to be high risk, came with a 0.03mm plastic bag.
No safety or age warnings
Many of us rely on safety information and age warnings when it comes to picking out a toy that's suitable for our child.
Yet Natasha says: "Safety standards specify the type and wording of warnings that are designed to protect children and advise parents.
"We found many toys that had missing or incorrectly applied warnings and many electrical toys with none of the specified warnings."
Researchers also found a lack of addresses on products.
"An address is important because if something goes wrong the customer should be able to go back to the seller to report an accident, to potentially get access to compensation if a serious accident has happened, or simply so that the toy can be reported and removed so other parents don’t continue to buy an unsafe item," adds Natasha.
Toys with sharp edges
Like knives, sharp edges or points on toys can cut and injure children.
Because of this, toys must be designed not to have them.
Yet Natasha says: "We have found toys that have failed this test and present sharp points and edges."
A colourful children's lock box - described as an educational "pre-school" toy - was found to have a sharp point on its keyring.
And a small handbag toy was also deemed to be dangerously sharp.
An Amazon spokesperson said: "Safety is important to Amazon and we want customers to shop with confidence on our stores.
"We have proactive measures in place to prevent suspicious or non-compliant products from being listed and we monitor the products sold in our stores for product safety concerns.
"When appropriate, we remove a product from the store, reach out to sellers, manufacturers, and government agencies for additional information, or take other actions.
"If customers have concerns about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our Customer Service directly so we can investigate and take appropriate action."
