Clothes intended for children under seven years of age, including carnival costumes in which hoods and similar attachments were very often present, should have no such cords and drawstrings around the neck, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority said.

It said that during inspections it came come across a number of carnival costumes intended for the use of children under seven which contained drawstrings and/or cords around the neck and it has ordered their removal.

Such laces, it said, could be the cause of strangulation if the hood became entrapped to a solid object, such as playground equipment, and the child was left dangling by the hood.

Moreover, clothes, including carnival costumes, intended for use by children older than seven, should not have cords and drawstrings around the neck which were longer than 75 mm on each side.