Newham Council’s trading standards team have removed 26 potentially dangerous hoverboards from sale in the borough’s shops in the last month.
The futuristic self-balancing scooters have been seized from stores and storage depots in East Ham and Stratford after the team received intelligence from border officials.
Fire brigades across the country have warned that the popular gadgets may have sparked fires in London, Kent and Buckinghamshire, while they were being charged.
The Christmas must-have is normally priced between £400 and £600 but cheaper, versions can be found for £100 or less. Often these cheaper gadgets have plugs that are either ill-fitting or do not have fuses as well as substandard batteries.
Councillor Unmesh Desai, cabinet member for crime and anti-social behaviour, said: “These hoverboards may be one of the most wanted Christmas presents this year, but nobody wants to be electrocuted or have their home burnt down by a cheap imitation. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, if it’s too good to be true then it probably is. Cheap items are often either fake or stolen.”
