A TWO-year-old girl almost died after swallowing magnets believing they were sweets, prompting an urgent warning from her devastated mum.

Sam McCarthy, from Basildon, fears she could have lost her daughter Rebecca during life-saving surgery after she swallowed 12 tiny, multi-coloured magnets.

The magnets were so strong they stuck together inside her body, rupturing her intestines three times.

Mrs McCarthy, 35, who had purchased the magnets as a Christmas present for her 10-year-old son last year, has issued an urgent warning to families.

READ MORE:

The mum-of-two is now part of a campaign, pressing the Government to change the law.

Alongside the British Toy and Hobby Association, the campaign asks for the law to outline joint liability between online market places, such as eBay or Amazon, and third party sellers, to provide full accountability for the sale of the toys.

Mrs McCarthy, said: “The magnets were so small, they got everywhere, and were super strong.

“Because they were so small and so many of them, we had no idea there were any missing.

“She just kept being sick on an empty stomach.

“Once the doctors knew it was magnets through the X-ray, their faces just dropped.

“It was so scary, I thought she was going to die.”

A British Toy and Hobby Association probe found that of 255 toys sold by third party sellers online, 88 per cent were illegal and 48 per cent were unsafe for a child to play with.

The dangers of swallowing magnets include choking, damage to sight or hearing, burns, chemical poisoning, and electric shocks.

Mrs McCarthy added: “The seller just disappeared when we tried to find them afterwards.”

“I don’t want a child to die before the law changes. The government needs to take urgent action.”

Rebecca has made a full recovery, but her family have to remain extremely cautious in case the scars on her intestines open.

To sign the newly launched petition, visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/597954.