A children’s toy lightsaber which had lead in its paint has been pulled from sale.

The European Commission has sent out a product alert for the Beamz Light Up Toy Sword, stating it does not meet toy safety standards.

The alert, which is described as “serious”, states: “The silver paint of the product contains lead (measured value: 112 mg/kg). A child may put the toy in the mouth.

“Exposure to lead is harmful for human health and cause developmental neurotoxicity.”

A spokesman for online retailer Amazon confirmed it has removed the toy from sale.

The light-up toy sword is approximately 31.5in (80cm) long, with a silver-coloured handle and a white blade with coloured flashing lights.

The China-made product, which has a 5033289002064 batch number or bar code, is from the brand GMG.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute website says that product recalls are made by traders about products that have problems which could affect the safety of the user.

It says the product should not be used and should be returned to the trader.