Popular “hoverboard” toys have been confiscated from stores across Moray by council trading standards officers who fear they could explode and cause fires.
The futuristic toy is flying off shelves across the nation as one of this year’s most sought-after Christmas gifts.
The self-balancing scooters allow youngsters to glide along the ground on wheels, aping the effect of the “hoverboards” made famous in the Back to the Future movies.
But fire chiefs in England have already blamed faulty models for blazes that have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.
And yesterday Moray Council’s trading standards team swooped on shops in Elgin, Forres and Buckie which were found to be selling the potentially dangerous gadgets.
The move came as part of a UK-wide operation in which more than 15,000 of the imported toys were impounded at ports and airports amid fears that they are unsafe.
Many self-balancing scooters have been found to have plugs without fuses and defective cut-off switches that risk the device overheating or catching fire.
Elgin fire station’s Ben Law said: “The service is aware of the concern around devices being marketed as hoverboards or balance boards, and our advice would be to never leave a charging battery unattended.”
In recent months faults associated with the must-have items have been linked to fires in London and Kent.
One mum in England said it sounded “like a bomb going off” when her son’s self-balancing scooter exploded and caused her to suffer burns.
Leon Livermore, chief executive of the UK Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said cheap versions of the popular toy had been created to capitalise on their demand.
Mr Livermore said: “Criminals and irresponsible manufacturers will often exploit high demand and attempt to flood the market with cheap and dangerous products.
“Consumers should not let a new fashion or craze cloud their judgement and remain vigilant at all times, to avoid taking home an unsafe product.
“Some products that are made abroad, principally for the overseas market, are not fitted with the correct plug and fuse for use in the UK.”
High-end versions of the gadget are a hit with celebrities, with Justin Bieber, Brooklyn Beckham, John Terry and Usain Bolt all spotted enjoying the gadgets.