Disney has been forced to withdraw 90,000 Mickey Mouse toys from five countries which were found to be a hazard to children, because the cartoon character's trouser buttons kept falling off.
The probe was launched after a mother from Cambridge said her seven-month-old son had choked on a button after playing with one of the toys.
In a case brought by Trading Standards, the shop where she purchased the toy was fined nearly £6,000 and the product was recalled from retailers all over Europe.
Parents who have bought the toy have been asked to return it to stores for a refund, as the small buttons can be swallowed by children. Cambridge's Disney Store is at 4-5 Petty Cury, Cambridge, CB2 3NE Tel. 01223 313258
Cambridge magistrates were told all similar Mickey Mouse toys had been taken off shelves in five European countries within 24 hours of discovering the problem.
Michael Elliker, representing the company, said 90,000 of the Chinese-made toys had been destroyed, and a product recall of 180,000 sold was underway.
Trading Standards officers said tests on several of the Clubhouse range of Mickey Mouse soft toys found the trouser buttons ''came away more easily than they should.''
The product was investigated after the seven-month-old was rushed to hospital in November 2007. The baby was unhurt and the button was never found.
The Disney Store admitted breaching safety regulations on the stitching of the buttons.
The toy has been redesigned - without buttons - and a new testing process is in place.
It is the company's second conviction in just over two years. It was prosecuted in January 2006 for selling Eeyore toys with bells which were too easy to detach.
