Poundland found guilty of selling unsafe catapults

Poundland Limited has been fined £3,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,107 after pleading guilty to selling unsafe fishing catapults in several Norfolk stores.

This case follows an identical proceeding that Norfolk County Council Trading Standards brought against Poundland in November 2010. This resulted in the company being fined £4000 and order to pay costs of £878.

A consumer complained last year to the Norfolk County Council Trading Standards after when using one of the catapults, a piece of the elastic became detached, striking them in the chest and causing a minor injury.

The same consumer found an identical catapult on sale in the Great Yarmouth store last February. They again brought this to the attention of Trading Standards. Officers undertook an investigation in to the safety of the catapults. They concluded that the catapults could pose a moderate to significant danger to fishermen using them.