One of this year's hottest Christmas gifts, the mini-scooter - was at the centre of a safety scare in the US yesterday.

Almost 100,000 of the fold-up scooters are being recalled in the States because of manufacturing faults that cause the scooters to break.

So far this year about 30,000 people in the US have been injured using the scooters. About 85 per cent of injuries are to children younger than 15.

Yesterday 90,000 Kent Kickin' Mini-Scooters were being recalled because the manufacturer has four reports of the handles coming out, resulting in injuries to four children, including broken arms.

Kash'n Gold is recalling about 7,500 Racer X20TM scooters because a joint between the handlebars can break, causing the rider to lose control, fall and possibly be injured. Two minor injuries have been reported.

The recalls come as the US Consumer Product Safety Administration reports a near 1,800 per cent increase in injuries associated with scooters between May and September.

Broken arms or hands were the most common injury, accounting for nearly a third of incidents.

Safety officials in the US are recommending that scooter users wear helmets, knee pads and elbow pads. Children under eight should only use scooters with close adult supervision, they say.