Ikea recalls Malm chest of drawers - after toddler deaths
Ikea is recalling chests of drawers in the US and Canada because they have killed three small children - but has left them on sale in the UK.
In an interview with NBC News, the company's US president, Lars Peterson, said it had pulled the Malm chests from sale because they 'could be a danger'. He added 'Please take them out of the room'.
However, in a statement to the BBC, Ikea says that the recall won't apply in the UK - for the time being, at least.
"Ikea US and Ikea Canada will launch a local recall of chests of drawers in North America only," it says.
"Ikea chests of drawers are safe when anchored to the wall per the assembly instruction, using the tip over restraint provided with the product."
The chests have been linked to the death of three toddlers.
Last year, Ikea warned the public that the Malm chests should be screwed to the wall with a special mount. In February 2014, two-year-old Curren Corras of West Chester, Pennsylvania, died after a six-drawer Malm chest tipped over and pinned him against his bed.
Four months later, Camden Ellis, also two years old, of Snohomish, Washington, died after a three-drawer model of the chest also tipped over.
And in February this year, 22-month-old Ted McGee, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, was also killed when a Malm chest of drawers crushed him against his bed.
Last summer, Ikea started including a wall mounting system with the Malm drawers, warning parents that they needed to be screwed to the wall.
However, Jackie Collas, Curren's mother, told ABC News that she was never warned she needed to do this.
"I didn't know to anchor my furniture and, in my mind, I feel that we really shouldn't have to," she said.
This latest move is the second serious recall from Ikea this year. In February, it pulled two popular frosted glass ceiling lampshades after more than 200 were reported to have fallen and smashed. Eleven people are believed to have been injured.
Shortly before, it recalled its Attjo drum sticks and tongue drum toys, as rubber balls attached to the sticks could be removed, and formed a choking threat.
