Teddy bear placed in quarantine by Australian customs officers

A teddy bear sent from England to Australia has been quarantined in case it was bringing diseases or exotic pests into the country. The soft brown Stoke City bear, complete with red jumper and matching red woolly hat, was sent as a new baby gift. Caroline Rothwell, 26, posted the toy from her home in Stoke, Staffordshire, to childhood best friend and Stoke City fan Natalie Kinnaird, in her new home of Perth, in Western Australia.

But when the parcel, which also included baby clothes, arrived at Natalie's home the bear was missing - except for a note stating it was quarantined and not allowed into the country. Now Natalie has been informed she must pay 41 Australian dollars to send the bear back to Britain. Stunned support worker Caroline explained: 'The bear was a gift from my one-year-old daughter Isabelle to Natalie's new baby son James.



'Natalie has been over to visit me in Stoke a few times and I thought it would be nice to send the new baby something from here. But when Natalie told me she had received the parcel she said there was a note saying the bear had been quarantined because it could release dangerous exotic pests or diseases into the country.

'I couldn't believe it. It seems ridiculous to think that a stuffed teddy bear could present such a danger.' The bear is still with customs officials in Australia. Quarantine rules stipulate that animal matter - including wool and furs, as well as stuffed animals - are not allowed into the country.