8 child stair gates have been deemed unsafe - here are the ones you should stop using

Parents have been warned to stop using eight different models of child stair gate after they failed safety tests carried out by a consumer group. Consumers’ Association Which? tested 12 gates and found that eight of them failed to meet EU safety standards. Two of the tests were designed to determine whether there was any risk of the gates becoming loose when children rattled, kicked or shoved them. One gate - the Mothercare Wooden Wall Fix - failed both of these tests and has since been recalled from sale while the company conducts investigations. Another test assessed how resistant the gates were to the impact of a child. They were hit with a 10kg (22lbs) weight, which is the average weight of a 15 month old boy. Any gate that moved more than 2.5cm (one inch) from its starting point failed the test. A number of gates came loose when under pressure The Mothercare gate, as well as the Cuggl Wooden Extending gate, failed after one impact. Another Cuggl product - the Auto Close - failed after the second impact. Cuggl said in a statement, "No issues with these products have been identified but we are investigating these results with our supplier." The 12 tested products were also put through a test where they were shaken 10,000 times by a mechanical arm designed to mimic the shaking of a toddler. The Mothercare Wooden Wall Fix also failed this Which? test after 6,738 attempts. Other gates that failed this test were the Lindam Sure Shut Orto (417 attempts), the Dreambaby Chelsea (1,456), the Dreambaby Liberty (2,727), the BabyDan Perfect Close (2,134), and the BabyDan Premier True Pressure (6,600). Which? did find that the BabyDan Perfect Close and the two Dreambaby gates both passed the test when they were secured to the wall using screws as well as adhesive pads, and recommends that parents with this product use this method to secure the gate. Manufacturers deny the findings Which? said parents should immediately stop using all of the other stair gates that failed its testing, and also advised that the products should be withdrawn from sale. Dreambaby said it disputed Which?'s findings and "considers them invalid". Munchkin, the company that owns Lindam, said it was not aware of any evidence supporting the allegations but would continue to monitor its products. BabyDan said all its safety gates complied with the relevant safety standards. Which? said it had reported its findings to Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards.