A few months ago when fidget spinners were introduced in the market, everyone went crazy. The three-armed gadget was specially made for children who suffer from ADHD, to improve concentration and reduce anxiety. But the fancy-looking toy has caused more harm than good. Around 300 fidget spinners were removed from shops throughout Bath and North East Somerset as they were claimed to be dangerous.

These fidget toys have become a hot trend among children and even adults around the world. This gadget was created by a mother living in Florida, Catherine Hettinger, in the 1990s to keep her 7-year old daughter, Sara, entertained. Catherine was suffering from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that results in muscle weakness. Sara is now 30-years old and doing well.

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Catherine held the patent to the fidget spinner until 2005 but surrendered it because she couldn’t afford the renewal fee of $400, allowing manufacturers to copy the design and sell them. A group of teenagers uploaded a Youtube video doing tricks with the fidget spinner and kids started nagging their parents to buy it for them.

Via: livescience.com

The officers of the trading standard council said that some of the spinners contained LED lights with lithium-ion batteries, which can cause internal bleeding if ingested. The remaining fidget spinners that were taken off contained small parts, such as blades and sharp edges which aren’t safe for children.

Martin Veale, a cabinet member at B & Nes, said that they want to ensure that fidget spinners are safe to be used by children. Since these toys don’t have the manufacturers' names written on them, it becomes difficult to track them. He said that the trading standard officers had to withdraw the toys from sale as they consisted of tiny, dangerous objects. He also suggested that fidgets spinners should be bought only from a reputable trader and see to it that safety warnings are mentioned on the packaging.

Over 10 million fidget spinners have been sold. Some schools have banned the fidget spinner as the newer models are unsafe and can cause harm.

NEXT: HIDDEN DANGER OF THE FIDGET SPINNER