Suspended sentence for fire safety breach landlord
A Lancashire landlord has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to breaching fire safety regulations.
Neal Gilligan, who is the owner of several properties in Lytham St Annes pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him at Preston Crown Court on 11th October.
Fire officers discovered the breaches after a fire broke out in one of the properties. It was found that an sufficient fire risk assessment had not been carried out and fire alarms, extinguishers and emergency lighting were not working properly.
Investigators discovered that all seven of Mr Gilligan’s properties were found to have serious fire safety failings.
The Judge at Preston Crown Court said: “It is a miracle no-one was injured or put in harm’s way,” said Susan Beech. “You showed a careless, if not wilful disregard for the safety and lives of your tenants, putting rental income before the safety of those whose rent you were only too keen to take. There is a need to send a clear message to others that disregard for important safety precautions, either once or over a prolonged period, will not go unmarked or unpunished.”
Arrests made after 3 die in house fire
Three people have died in a house fire in Prestatyn in North Wales.
Lee-Anna Shiers, aged 20, was killed with her niece Skye Allen and nephew Bailey Allen when a fire broke out in their flat in Prestatyn.
Miss Shiers’ partner Liam Timbrell, and their baby son are being treated in hospital.
North Wales Police have arrested two tenants from the same building on suspicion of murder.
Firefighters tried to save the victims at the flat in Maes Y Groes, Prestatyn, at around 10pm on Friday 19th October.
A spokesperson for the Welsh Ambulance Service said that the survivors were taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital where they remain in a critical but stable condition.
Detective Superintendent John Chapman said: “My heart goes out to the family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. We would appeal for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the Maes y Groes area of Prestatyn yesterday evening to get in contact as soon as possible by calling us on 101. We are deploying family liaison officers to work closely with the next of kin at this difficult time. There is a team of dedicated officers working on specific lines of inquiry in relation to this incident.”
Fire at Lincolnshire Recycling Centre
A large fire broke out at a recycling in Lincolnshire on 18th October.
The blaze broke out at MID UK’s Claythorpe recycling centre at around midnight and fire crews spent several hours at the scene.
The site is one of the largest in the UK and has the capacity to deal with around 80,000 tonnes of co-mingled dry recyclables (CDR) per annum.
Part of the building suffered extensive damage during the fire, and residents were advised to stay in their homes and keep windows and doors closed.
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said: “Six appliances are still in attendance at a recycling factory fire in Caythorpe that started overnight. The fire has caused severe damage to machinery and recycling materials, but crews are making steady progress against it. Two main jets, two hose reels, and two BA in use as well as the high volume pump, hose layer and water carrier.”
Two men injured in ‘beds in sheds’ fire
The Fire Service has warned of the dangers of outbuildings being used as living accommodation after two men were rescued from a shed being used as a bedsit in Melfort Road, Thornton Heath on 2nd October.
The two men suffered burns and smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Watch Manager Simon Chalk, said: “We acted really quickly to get the two unconscious men out of the severe fire. The outhouse was completely gutted and we made sure the fire didn’t spread further. The cause of the fire is now under investigation.”
Statistics show that over the last three years there have been 235 fires in outbuildings that have people living in them when they should not have been. Four people have died, and 45 have suffered serious injuries.
Chair of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority’s Strategy Committee Cllr Crada Onuegbu said: “The issue of “beds in sheds,” as well as people living in other unsuitable buildings, continues to be a concern, as unscrupulous landlords looking to make a quick buck put lives at risk in shoddy accommodation. These figures are a stark reminder that properties like these are potentially lethal fire traps. It’s inevitable that people living in them rely on far riskier ways of heating, cooking and lighting but unfortunately fire safety is not a priority for the landlords who illegally rent them out. It’s not only people living in this accommodation whose lives are being put in danger. There’s also an increased risk to our firefighters if they need to carry out life-saving rescues in buildings that are in a state of dereliction and that were never intended to be used as sleeping accommodation.”
Residents evacuated as fire breaks out in Cambridgeshire garage
Fire crews from across Cambridgeshire were called to a fire which broke out in a commercial garage in the early hours of 10th October.
A cordon of around 200 meters was put in place around the Milestone Motor Company in Manor Farm. Many residents in Gravely had to be evacuated at around 3.30am as firefighters feared gas cylinders stored in the garage may explode.
A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Due to the cylinders involved, the fire service put a 200 metre cordon in place and police alerted residents within the cordon, some of which were evacuated. Other residents who are less at risk were advised of the situation.”
Crews from Papworth, St Neots, Huntingdon, St Ives and Ramsey fire stations attended the incident.
There were no casualties reported in the incident.