A LEADING cycle manufacturer is removing drinks bottles from a children's trike after a North Yorkshire toddler almost choked.
Twenty-month-old Kelsey Pearson started "gagging" after the on-off stopper lid on the tricycle's drinks bottle became detached and lodged at the back of her mouth.
Her parents, Deborah Liddle and Stephen Pearson, paid £29.99 for the Universal Rhapsody Trike from Toys "R" Us at Clifton Moor, near York.
But the present nearly ended in tragedy as Kelsey started sipping juice from the bottle.
Deborah, 36, of Legion Street, South Milford, said: "She started gagging and pointing towards her mouth.
"I could see the valve was stuck right at the back of her jaw - I had to put my finger in her mouth and give it a good pull to loosen it.
"If she had taken a big drink, it could have gone down into her throat.
"It's a good job Kelsey was on my knee at the time. I can't stop thinking about what might have happened if I had not been with her."
She added: "We were very angry and took the bottle back to Toys R Us the same afternoon.
"We got a letter from the company about a week later, saying it was a one-off incident and enclosing a £10 voucher.
"We returned the voucher and asked for all the bottles to be recalled.
"It may have been an isolated incident, but if it can happen to Kelsey it can happen to another child with potentially tragic consequences."
Manufacturers Universal Cycles told the Evening Press today that in the light of Kelsey's "unfortunate" experience, they were removing drinks bottles altogether from their trike range for next year.
Technical director Alan Bush said they would also be looking at removing the bottles from trikes still in shops.
He said: "We haven't been able to come up with a foolproof alternative, and we aren't prepared to take any risks where children are concerned."
Mr Bush added: "We have sold thousands of these trikes and this is the first complaint."
Toys R Us, which apologised for any distress, said its products were of the highest quality and conformed to British Safety Regulations.
Deborah said today: "I'm delighted with the manufacturers' response - that's all we ever wanted."
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