Amazon call for consumers to bin dangerous hoverboards

Amazon has advised customers who have bought hoverboards with unsafe plugs to throw them away, as a watchdog urged all retailers to remove them from sale.

Many hover-boards have been found to have non-compliant plugs.

The internet giant has sent two separate emails, the first to customers who bought hoverboards with non-compliant UK plugs, advising that they should dispose of the boards at a recycling centre. They will receive a full refund.

Another email sent to everyone who bought the boards warned that Trading Standards has raised concerns about their safety, in particular their rechargeable lithium batteries and plugs. The message included a link to safety tips.

It asked anyone who would rather not keep the product to contact Amazon customer service.

Listings for the boards appear to have been removed from Amazon UK, John Lewis and Argos.

The warning comes after customs officers at Glasgow Airport seized 210 hoverboards in October which were found to be dangerous due to the plugs being seriously flawed.

The Retail Ombudsman watchdog said businesses could be liable for any injuries suffered as a result of flawed gadgets that fail to meet the required UK safety standards.