Santa's gift to six year old: a razor blade

As a Cheshire mum helped her six-year-old daughter to open the present given to her by a garden centre Santa Claus, the last thing her Mum expected to see fall out was an inch-long razor blade.

But that's exactly what Naomi Gilmour, 41, found when opening a bag containing pots of paint in the arts and crafts set - supposedly suitable for children as young as three - chosen by her daughter Ruby.

Gilmour had taken Ruby and her older daughter Molly, 10, to see Father Christmas at Brookside Garden Centre in Poynton, Stockport.

She told the Manchester Evening News: "Santa was amazing, but the present was not. I am just thankful that I opened it instead of her.

"The blade looked like it was from a knife. It could have caused a really serious injury."

Gilmour, from Congleton, was particularly shocked as the gift, which was made by Grafix and included paints, crayons and colouring books, could have been given to a much younger child.

"I just couldn't believe it. It could have been a three-year-old that opened it," she said. "The pack was completely sealed with the blade inside."

She has now received an apology from wholesalers RMS International Ltd. According to the Mirror, the company sent her an email saying sorry for the "clearly unintentional" error.

The email read: "Firstly I would like to offer my sincere apologies to both you and your daughter for this clearly unintentional yet very serious error.

"RMS International takes customer safety and satisfaction extremely seriously and this matter will be dealt with in an appropriate and thorough manner."

RMS International has also promised to launch an "immediate investigation" into how a razor blade could end up in a present designed for young children.

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