Consumer watchdogs are warning parents after a shipment of fake Angelina Jolie 'Maleficent' dolls were seized - which could KILL children.Trading Standards officers discovered the deadly batch of counterfeit merchandise based on the hit 2014 blockbuster at Coventry Airport last week.Border Force and Warwickshire County Council officials destroyed 60 of the lethal toys depicting the Disney villain before they could go on sale in time for Christmas.Shockingly, the bogus dolls from China contained phthalates - chemicals linked to cancer, asthma, birth defects and and infertility in men.Yesterday (Mon) Tory Councillor John Horner, the counil's portfolio holder for community safety, said: "There is now a global marketplace for goods and services and we are increasingly finding that many small businesses import their stocks direct from suppliers outside Europe."Unfortunately, in many areas of the world, consumers do not get the same levels of protection UK shoppers expect and receive, and products we consider dangerous are regularly manufactured and sold."I would strongly urge small businesses in Warwickshire that are considering importing stock from outside the EU to talk to Trading Standards who can offer help and advice."Trading standards are now advising parents to always buy from reputable sources and be wary of heavily discounted products.Councillor Philip Johnson, chair of the council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee, added: "We will continue to work with Border Force and other agencies to stop dangerous products from reaching our shop shelves and protect the public."Consumers can report toys and other goods they have concerns about via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506.* Maleficent is a dark fantasy film directed by Robert Stromberg based on a re-imagining of Disney's 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty.It stars Angelina Jolie who plays the "Mistress of All Evil" and grossed over £500 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2014.
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