Watchdog and the toxic sofa syndrome

The British television programme Watchdog has revisited the subject of the toxic sofas made in China and containing sachets of the fungicide dimethyl fumarate.

In an earlier programme some viewers were alerted to the fact that their sofa could be the cause of a terrible rash and that thousands of people had suffered from severe skin reactions.

The sofas were sold through three main retailers: Argos, Land of Leather and Walmsley's and were all made by one Chinese manufacturer - Linkwise. Watchdog discovered the problems were caused by a sachet of fungicide put inside the sofas to prevent mould. Now, a second manufacturer has been linked to the furniture problem - China-based firm Eurosofa. People have been complaining of the same skin reactions after buying furniture carrying the Eurosofa label from Land of Leather stores.

Initially Land of Leather refused to accept that sofas not made by Linkwise could be a problem. But Watchdog investigators found anti-mould sachets and tests revealed they contained dimethyl fumarate.

Richard Langton, the lawyer leading the High Court class action against Linkwise retailers, says a second manufacturer being linked to the problem is deeply worrying as ‘potentially there could be hundreds of thousands or even millions of pieces of furniture that have got this fungicide in it which must be of enormous concern to the community, to governments and trading standards.' In the current class action there are over 3,500 clients seeking compensation for sofa injuries, most of which relate to Linkwise sofas.

Land of Leather commented that ‘as the subject matter of the programme involves a group action currently proceeding in the High Court against 71 UK retailers - it would be improper for us to comment.' However, it is understood that they have exchanged some of the offending sofas.

Eurosofa insist that the sofas featured are not theirs.