NEW Coronation Street baby Morgan Middleton gave a local firm an unexpected prime time television boost.

Bolton businessman Mike Caplin settled down to watch the popular TV soap and instantly spotted Morgan's car seat as a Maxi-Cosi, solely distributed in the UK by his firm Dorel UK.

The seat, know as the Mino, was used by new mum Fiona Middleton to bring baby Morgan home to Coronation Street from hospital.

Mr Caplin, Dorel UK's chief executive, said it was pleasing to see the car seat being used by 21-year-old Angela Griffin, who plays hairdresser Fiona, because it was new, rather than second-hand.

Dorel UK, based in Stone Hill Road, Farnworth, has been actively campaigning over the last year to draw parents' attention to the dangers of buying second-hand car seats.

The company believes that many parents continue to risk placing their children in seats they don't know the history of, or have not had tested.

Dorel UK recently tested a range of second-hand car seats to see if they really were as dangerous as thought.

The results showed, in every case, seats with serious defects and even those which looked undamaged had dangerous, even lethal, faults.

Mr Caplin said: "The public sees a second-hand car seat costing around £20 and it looks fine, but people are unaware of the potential dangers of straps that might snap in a crash or a seat that may crack on impact. None of the seats tested came complete with the manufacturers' instructions for fitting and use.

"Even if you don't know the history you must be aware that you are not getting a seat manufactured to the latest safety standards."

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