Wal-Mart 'realistic' toy guns trigger Shanghai raid

Shanghai, May 31: Chinese quality watchdogs have seized 46 toy guns from a Wal-Mart store in Shanghai because they looked ''too realistic'', state media reported on Thursday.

Five types of toy guns, including pistols and a machinegun, seized from the U.S. retailing giant's outlet in Pudong district, violated colour standards, the Shanghai Daily said, citing the local bureau of quality and technical supervision.

''All of the guns are black or metallic, which is against a law that states at least half of toy guns should be bright colours such as red or green to differentiate them from real weapons,'' the paper quoted an unnamed quality official as saying.

''The toy guns sold in Wal-Mart are too real, and such toys can be harmful to children by easily inducing them to violence,'' the official said.

The bureau would inspect samples of the seized guns again, the paper said, adding that if they were confirmed to have broken regulations, Wal-Mart could face a fine equal to three times their sale value.

Reuters>