Half of child car seats 'unsafe'

New regulations on child car seats were introduced last year

More than 50% of child car seats in a Berkshire town failed safety tests during a two-day crackdown.

Fire crews and trading standards officials in Slough tested the seats of 64 vehicles. Only 30 passed.

Many of the failures were due to loose and badly fitted seats and incorrect use of the seatbelt to hold the chair in place.

A trading standards spokesperson said the findings were "very alarming" as well as "disappointing".

"As always, we cannot stress the importance of correctly installing a child's car seat," he said.

"If any parent is in any doubt they should have the seat checked out. We will be holding further events across the year."

Since new laws were introduced in Wales, England and Scotland on 18 September, drivers who do not ensure that the seats are correct could face a fixed penalty fine of £30, or a court fine of up to £500.

The government claims the move could save up to 2,000 children a year from death or injury in road accidents.