LEGO GROUP RECALLS BABY TOY, LEGO PRIMO LADYBIRD RATTLE (ART. NO. 2093) Billund, Denmark, May 22 (TTNN) - The LEGO Group has been informed of deeply regrettable incidents in which a LEGO PRIMO Ladybird rattle (art. no. 2093) was stuck in the mouth of six to seven month old babies creating a potential choking risk. As a result, we will execute an immediate recall of the product from consumers and retailers. Since March 1997, between 600,000 and 700,000 of these rattles have been sold to retailers all over the world, with the exception of North America, where the product has not been introduced on the markets. All LEGO products are designed and produced to meet our own and the strictest international standards in relation to safety and quality. For baby toys, this naturally means that it should not be possible for them to be put so deep into the mouth that there is a risk of blocking the air passages. For this reason, all LEGO PRIMO products are thoroughly tested in accordance with the procedures and standards that apply in this field. "We can confirm that all LEGO PRIMO toys including the Ladybird rattle, conform to all applicable standards and requirements", states Jan Klejs Pedersen, the LEGO Group4s international quality manager. "We nevertheless have to acknowledge with deep regret that in some situations the LEGO PRIMO Ladybird rattle can represent a hazard to small children who manage to put a part of the toy into their mouths. It is a problem we take very seriously and, in parallel with making a full assessment of the situation, we have initiated the following immediate actions: - with this press announcement, we ask all journalistic media to help us by informing the consumers who have bought the product concerned. As soon as possible, we shall follow up this announcement with more detailed information to consumers, retailers, etc. Among other actions, this will include advertising announcing the recall of the product. - in addition, we shall immediately revise our design requirements and work for more stringent international standards and safety requirements for baby toys, with the object of avoiding as far as possible a recurrence of this situation in the future. Photograph available on AsiaNet WebPics at http://aapimage.aap.com.auTo download photo:Username: ASIANETPASSWORD: ASIANETin WHAT field type: ASIANETSThen click on DISPLAYFor assistance call 61 2 9322 8709 UNS Contact: Jan Klejs Pedersen, International Quality Control, or Eva Lykkegaard, Corporate Information & PR or Knud Reckweg, Corporate Communication, all of LEGO Group, tel Denmark +45 75 33 11 88 or Klaus Fog, SIGMA AS, tel +45 32 54 76 76 or +45 40 45 66 76 or Web site: http://www.LEGO.com/parents