Dart banned after boy's death

Scott bought the gun and darts with his pocket money

An 11-year-old boy choked to death on a toy that was about to be banned across Europe, an inquest heard.

Scott West, from Pulborough, West Sussex, was on holiday in the New Forest when he choked on a soft plastic dart from a toy air gun.

Southampton Coroner's Court heard a Europe-wide ban on the toy came into effect in September, one month after Scott's death.

Coroner Keith Wiseman recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Their size and softness encouraged the handling of them and the smaller of the darts resembled sweets

PC Steven Bedford

The inquest heard Scott, the son of divorced mechanic Kevin West and Tracey Carter, was on holiday with his aunt and uncle Ian and Karen Nordate when the accident happened.

On the first day of a caravan trip to the Sandy Balls Holiday Centre at Godshill, near Fordingbridge in Hampshire, Scott choked on the bright red dart while he sat talking to his aunt.

PC Steven Bedford, who investigated the gun, told the court Scott had bought the gun with his pocket money from the Spar shop on the caravan site.

He said: "The shop had three types of soft dart gun.

"Their size and softness encouraged the handling of them and the smaller of the darts resembled sweets."

Trading standards manager for Hampshire County Council, Philip Thomas, told the inquest the European Union had changed its regulations ruling they should be no shorter than 57mm.

The dart swallowed by Scott was just over 20mm - but a transition period was allowed for current stocks to be sold until the end of September this year.