Why does Ikea furniture have to be fixed to the wall, and is it really necessary?
They're cheap and cheerful, if not the easiest to assemble - but is your Ikea chest of drawers putting your family in danger?
MOST of us have at least one piece of Ikea furniture in our houses - whether just a shelf, a whole bookcase or bulky chest of drawers.
The Swedish store dominates the world of flat-pack furniture, offering cheap products that you must be willing to assemble yourself at home.
Though the instruction manuals that come with chests of drawers advise customers to secure their furniture to the wall using a bracket provided, not all do so, leading to tragic consequences.
In 2014, two children were killed in the United States after the same chest of drawers from the 'Malm' range fell over on top of them.
Ikea issued a safety warning, instructing all buyers to attach Malm chests to the wall to avoid other such accidents.
Despite their warning, a third child was killed in February 2016 after being crushed by the same product, forcing the company to recall more than 27 million chests in America.
No deaths relating to the Malm chests have been reported in the UK, though many have been injured, including three-year-old Evie-Mai McKenzies from Nottingham, who needed 20 stitches after suffering a gash to her temple.
Parents in the UK are urged to always use the provided wall restraints, and can contact Ikea on 020 36450010 to request a free wall restraint kit if they no longer have the original.
A video was released by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, demonstrating exactly why the products need to be secured.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, six children have now died there as a result of being crushed by Ikea furniture.
A spokesperson for the company says: 'Ikea has included restraints with our chest of drawers for decades and the wall attachment is an integral part of the assembly instructions.'
READ MORE
Two-year-old saves twin brother who is trapped under a heavy bookcase
Ikea Reading worker crushed to death by lift he was fixing at new megastore
Horror injuries of tot, 3, after IKEA Malm drawers fall on her
Ikea removes photograph of boy from its shelves after Hitler comparison