Shropshire shop bosses join Claudia Winkelman in alerting parents to costume dangers
Parents are being urged to check their children's fancy dress costumes comply with stringent flammability requirements.
Shop owners are being backed by Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkelman whose daughter Matilda was badly burned when her fancy dress costume caught fire.
Eight-year-old Matilda's costume was ignited by a candle and the flames consumed the outfit in seconds, leading to questions being raised about their safety.
Dennis Hoar, 62, is the owner of Play and Party, a costume shop business with branches in Wellington and Shrewsbury. He said: "Safety has become a big issue and I think that bad publicity is actually good for shops like ours.
"The desire to buy safe products means more people come to us because we sell genuine products that have the relevant safety branding.
"We have a poster in the shop window telling parents not to play with children's safety, and one to ensure that safety is to buy goods with the relevant CE safety marking. You need to look out for the companies that lead the costume industry in quality and safety, for example Rubies and Smiffys – both of which we stock.
"These are companies with a reputation to protect who are serious about safety."
Mr Hoar, who lives in Wellington, said buying on the internet can seem appealing, but the problem is you don't know what you'll receive through the post.
"When you come into a shop you can inspect the costumes, see the quality, check for the safety labels and know exactly what you are getting for your money," he added.
