Child car seats urgently recalled amid safety fears

Parents have been advised to stop using certain Mamas & Papas car seats following tests which showed that they may not protect children during a crash.

The problem, where a seat may crack upon impact, was identified by parenting blog Playpennies when it was contacted by worried parents.

The seat models in question are:

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1 Black (Argos catalogue number 297/7526)

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1 Grey (Argos catalogue number 411/9100)

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1-2-3 Black (Argos catalogue number 305/6037)

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1, 2, 3 Grey (Argos catalogue number 397/9530)

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 2-3 Black and Grey (Argos catalogue number 245/4829).

An Argos spokesperson said: “We have identified a potential safety concern.

“In the event of an accident the car seat shell may crack and therefore not provide the intended level of protection to the user.

“If you have purchased any of the above seats, you should immediately stop using the product and return the car seat to your local Argos store for a full refund. We wish to thank you for your cooperation and apologise for any inconvenience caused by this recall.”

Coincidentally, new rules are due to come in force later this year. Car booster seats without a back will be banned for younger children.

At present, children weighing over 15kg - so around the age of three and up to 12 - can travel in cars while sitting on a backless booster seat.

However, experts have claimed the seat is unsuitable for younger children and backless booster seats will only be approved for use by children weighing more than 22kg and taller than 125cm.