Parents have been told not to buy their children high-speed skateboard that has become a cult hit on the internet.

Trading Standards officers, who seized one during a raid on a garage in Bournemouth, believe that parents may be tempted to buy the skateboards as gifts, unaware that it does not meet EU safety standards.

The device, known as a G-Wheel, can reach speeds of 45mph, is powered by a 50cc petrol engine and steered purely by balance. The hand-held throttle is controlled by cable and the only way of stopping is a basic brake on the back wheel.

The machine, which is also known as a Gee Wheel, Wheelboard or Wheelman, has featured in dozens of stunt videos posted on YouTube.

The G-Wheel is widely advertised on the internet for about £499, but its sale is illegal in the UK. Tests on the seized machine revealed 15 serious faults, including an ineffective rear brake. Trading Standards officers say that the exhaust pipe can become dangerously hot and the plastic petrol tank leaks fuel over the pavement.

In order to be used on the road, the skate board would need to be classed as motorised vehicle.

The man who imported the machine may face charges under the Consumer Protection Act.

Bournemouth council is concerned that many more of the skateboards have been sold over the internet.

Chief Inspector Rick Dowell, head of Dorset police’s traffic unit, said that any G-Wheel user may be prosecuted.

He said: “Users can expect them to be seized and destroyed. Anyone found in possession of these vehicles may well be prosecuted for the relevant offence they have committed at the time.”

The seizure of the G-Wheel comes four months after 50 pairs of petrol-driven rollerskates were confiscated, also in Bournemouth.