A THURROCK businessman who ignored warnings that the toys he was supplying from his borough-based company were endangering the lives of children has been fined.

A court heard that toys that passed through the company run by Jonathon Laidlaw put children at risk of choking and asphyxiation.

The company director and the firm itself have been forced to pay out more than £4,100 after they failed to follow advice to ensure imported toys met proper safety standards and did not pose a danger to children.

JL Supplies Ltd was fined £600 and ordered to pay £937 costs and £60 victim surcharge while Laidlaw was fined £1,400 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £140 victim surcharge after pleading guilty to importing and supplying unsafe toys that could have hurt children when he appeared at Southend Magistrates' Court.

It is not the first time Laidlaw has appeared before a court over toys and items that he imports being a danger to children.

In June 2014 The Ham and High newspaper and a number of other news sources (including the Islington Gazette and Evening Standard) reported the toy trader was fined £2,000 and told to pay Islington Council's £2,000 legal costs and a £200 victim surcharge and JL Supplies was fined a total of £1,000 after a set of fake plastic fangs he had imported from China cut a 12-year-old child's gums.

The newspapers reported that, passing sentence at Highbury Magistrates' Court District, Judge Janet Cooper said: "There are a number of matters that relate to these fangs sold at Halloween, clearly for use by children, which cause injury and potential for causing them to choke."

She added: "These are quite serious matters. You need to be aware that if you come back before the court for any matter similar to this you will be facing a custodial sentence."

Laidlaw, who has also been known as Jonathan Laidlaw but changed the spelling of the Christian name on documents at Companies House (recorded there after his conviction in 2014) spoke to the media after his first hearing and said that he would now do everything he could to ensure future products were fit for purpose, adding: "Once bitten, twice shy, I suppose.

"I would like to thank Trading Standards. They have guided me well and I'm a lot more careful now."

However, despite the advice from Thurrock Council's Trading Standards team he has found himself in the dock again.

An inspection by Thurrock Council Trading Standards officers carried out at the company premises in Horndon on the Hill found the supplier had toys that didn't have safety documentation.

Further testing found a number of unsafe toys which put children at risk of choking and asphyxiation and other toys which did not carry the proper documentation and labelling.

A statement from Thurrock Council said: "This prosecution came after repeated attempts by the council to work with the business to ensure they were complying with their legal obligations to import and supply safe goods. Extensive advice had been given but the business had failed to act on it.

"Thurrock Council's Trading Standards work hard to keep all residents, and especially children, safe from rogue traders and dangerous goods.

"Members of the public should make sure they only purchase from reputable retailers, look out for age warnings on toys, ensure there is a name and address of the manufacturer/importer on the pack and that it has the CE/UKCE mark. Residents can report the sale of unsafe toys to Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133."