The children who swallowed the beads have now recovered

The supermarket chain said it had taken three Bindeez products off the shelves as a precautionary measure.

The Bindeez toy consists of hundreds of beads that can be arranged into a piece of art and sprayed with water to set.

Five children in the US and Australia had to go to hospital after swallowing a number of the beads.

They subsequently recovered, although two had first slipped into comas.

A faulty batch of beads had been coated in chemicals which turned into the banned drug when swallowed.

Toy of the year

An Asda spokeswoman said the firm, owned by US giant Wal-Mart, was now awaiting further instructions from the suppler.

The three products it has withdrawn are Bindeez Starter Set, Bindeez Super Set, and Bindeez Themed pack.

The toy has proved extremely popular in the US and Australia, where it was named Australia's Toy of the Year for 2007.

The beads are meant to be coated in a non-toxic glue.

About 4.2 million units of the toy have been recalled in the US, officials said, and about one million in Australia.

Australian-based manufacturer Moose Enterprises said the toys were made at a factory in southern China's Guangdong province.

The firm said Bindeez beads would in future be covered with a "foul-tasting ingredient" to try to ensure children would not eat them.

It is the latest in a series of safety scares over products made in China.