Harrow landlord prosecuted for fire safety breaches

Press release: PR051/08 
Date: 08 August 2008

A Harrow landlord has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 in fines and costs for breaching fire safety regulations, after a successful prosecution by London Fire Brigade.

The prosecution followed a fire at a House of Multiple Occupation in High Street, Wealdstone, on 22 November 2007.

Sentencing the building’s landlord, Vispasp Sakari, of Ivanhoe Drive, Harrow took place at Harrow Magistrates Court on 6 August after Sakari pleaded guilty to the breaches.

Fire safety inspectors from the Brigade’s borough team found multiple breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 after the fire.

The fire alarm was not functioning and the main exit from the building was obstructed by building materials. Fire doors were unserviceable due to missing or broken parts and the fire extinguishers were past their testing dates.

The cupboard of the main electrical supply unit was full of combustible material and wires had been left exposed, creating a fire hazard. An exit route from the rear of the property was also inadequate as it led to an enclosed garden.

Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety Regulation Max Hood said: “Landlords must take responsibility for fire safety very seriously within their properties. The breaches by the landlord in this case put his tenant’s lives at risk and I thank the inspecting officers as well as our legal team for their hard work in bringing this prosecution to a successful conclusion.”