Parents and shopkeepers are being urged to be on the look-out after a massive recall of mini-scooters.

The Consumer Affairs Bureau has issued a warning over two brands of the push scooter that have been taken off the streets in the US after handlebar problems caused youngsters to lose control.

Consumer Affairs inspector Marisa Sharpe ordered any stores stocking the brands to take them off the shelves and to notify her department. In addition, she told parents to check their childrens' scooters.

Around 90,000 Kent Kickin' scooters and 7,500 Racer X20s are being recalled in the US. The Kent models are prone to the handlebars coming out of the steering column and a steering joint on the X20 can break.

Ms Sharpe said an investigation yesterday had found no shops selling the products but she said there was a risk of parents or smaller retailers having bought the scooters in independently.

"Any retailers who have been overlooked by our investigation and are selling the recalled scooters are to cease selling them under the Consumer Protection Act 1999, part four,'' she said.

Any members of the public who have the scooters can also notify the department.

In addition, people can call Kent International at 800-451-5368l or Kash 'N Gold, who supply the Racer X20 scooters Kash 'N Gold at 800-354-8785.

Six injuries have been attributed to the problems prompting the recall and the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 30,000 people have gone to emergency rooms this year for other injuries from accidents involving all brands of scooters.

The Kent scooters are made of chrome-plated steel and carry a "Made in China'' label on the lower steering column. They sold in Toys R Us stores across the US for about $60 from May through September.

The X20s, also Chinese-made, are of lightweight aluminium and are mostly silver-coloured with blue,green, red, orange or clear wheels. They were sold in August and September for $70 to $100 at Discovery and Mervyn's stores and the Discovery Web site.