A schoolboy had to have emergency surgery to remove six magnetic toys from his stomach after he accidentally swallowed them.
Mickey Hambly was rushed to A&E by his parents in the early hours of the morning when he began suffering agonising abdominal pain.
The seven-year-old was found to have three holes in his bowel, caused by the powerful magnetic objects that have been made popular online.
An X-ray clearly showed six tiny balls lodged in his stomach - which mum Elaine Hambly was horrified to see were toys she had bought him for his birthday.
She purchased the small magnets after watching viral YouTube videos of them being used to build impressive structures.
Mickey Hambly (pictured), seven, was left with three holes in his bowel after swallowing six strong magnetic balls, made popular by viral videos online that show their use in the construction of impressive structures
The schoolboy was rushed to A&E by his parents in the early hours of the morning, where healthcare workers X-rayed the boy and discovered six magnetic balls lodged inside his digestive system - toys his mother had bought him for his birthday
The little boy's mum described the time Mickey (pictured) spent in the hospital as 'the hardest thing' her family had been through. Elaine Hambly (pictured below) is now waging a campaign against the magnetic beads, warning parents of the harm they can do when misused
Medics at Evelina Children's Hospital in London, where was underwent an emergency surgery, said Mickey Hambly (pictured) was not the first patient they had seen who had swallowed the trendy coloured magnets
Mickey with his mum, 29-year-old Elaine Hambly, who is urging parents NOT to buy the powerful magnets she gifted her son on his birthday, after he swallowed them and was hospitalised
The schoolboy told his mum he had swallowed the coloured magnetic balls accidentally while rolling them in the gap where he had lot a tooth, because 'it felt nice on his gum'
The youngster was operated on at Evelina Children's Hospital in London, resulting in a surgery scar (pictured)
An X-ray scan (pictured), carried out at Margate's QEQM hospital, revealed the cause of Mickey's agonising stomach pain: he had six powerful magnets lodged inside him
The magnetic balls (pictured) 'look just like the little sweets you can put on birthday cakes - they're hard and colourful', says 29-year-old Elaine Hambly (pictured above), Mickey's mother
But now the 29-year-old is warning other parents of the dangers of the toys due to the strength of the magnets and the damage they can cause.
The mum-of-four from Margate, Kent, said: 'I can't stress enough to parents - please do not buy these. As fun as they look, they are really dangerous and can be life-threatening.
'Unfortunately kids are putting them in their mouth or pretending to make piercings. They look just like the little sweets you can put on birthday cakes - they're hard and colourful.
'The hospital said that wasn't their first case of it - they've seen a few. They are so strong and have been causing
