Staff charged with arson after fire causes more than £500,000 worth of damage
A fire at a pub in North Wales has caused more than £500,000 worth of damage.
The fire broke out at The Running Hare in Ewloe early on 6th February.
Firefighters from Deeside and Buckley fire stations attended the blaze.
Head chef Clinton Stephen and assistant manager Christopher Drake who both work at the pub, have appeared at Flintshire Magistrates Court and have been charged with arson.
The pub is not expected to open again until later April.
Four Peterborough bars flagged up as fire safety risks
The Safer Peterborough Partnership has identified four city centre bars as having breached fire safety regulations, possibly putting their customers and staff in danger.
The Partnership – made up of a number of organisations dedicated to reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in the area – sent out a task force to conduct spot checks on five city centre bars, with the aim of discovering whether they were following fire safety regulations or not.
The task force revealed that four out of the five drinking establishments they visited had breached fire safety regulations in some way, either with blocked or otherwise obstructed fire exits or fire doors that were left open.
The owners of the bars have now been advised to review their fire training practices and arrange for these relatively minor problems to be rectified as soon as possible.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service safety officer Steve Robinson said:
“Fire safety standards were found to be poor in four out of five of the premises we inspected on the night.
“This means that the safety of those inside had been put at risk and demonstrates why these inspections are so important.”
South Wales restaurant owner pleads guilty to ignoring fire safety warnings
A restaurant owner from Gwent in South Wales has pleaded guilty to a number of fire safety offences, including ignoring a prohibition notice from the local fire service.
The man in question, Abdul Kadir, is the former owner of the Raj Gate restaurant in Ponthir. He has now been forced to cease trading at the restaurant due to a number of fire safety offences.
After visiting the premises in 2008, investigators from the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service found a whole host of problems relating to fire safety at the premises. Mr Kadir was accused of endangering the lives of staff and visitors with his negligence.
The charges against Mr Kadir included failures to:
• Ensure fire exit routes were unobstructed and lit with emergency lighting
• Properly equip the restaurant with working fire alarm systems
• Keep firefighting equipment up to date (a fire extinguisher found on the premises was last tested in 2004)
• Comply with a prohibition notice from the fire service
• Allowing extension cables to run through kitchen areas
These faults and failures are generally covered as part of a fire risk assessment, or on fire training courses for the owners or managers of commercial properties.
Seven schools in East Lancashire found to breach fire safety regulations
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has revealed that a total of seven schools in East Lancashire have failed recent fire safety inspections, due to problems with fire alarms and fire exits.
After inspecting more than 100 properties last year, the fire service flagged up seven schools – including a number of primary schools – in areas of East Lancashire which had problems with their fire safety measures. The schools were mainly found in Clitheroe, Blackburn, Nelson and Barrowford.
The main breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as uncovered by officers from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, included inadequate fire alarms, firefighting equipment, fire escape exits and routes and fire doors. All of these things must be in place, and a full fire risk assessment carried out, before each school meets current fire safety legislation.
Although these problems were admittedly minor, enforcement orders for the schools to make the necessary improvements have now been issued. Even the smallest things can save lives and protect property, such as the right fire awareness training or new batteries in a smoke alarm.
Richard Stott, the Group Manager for the fire service, commented on the results of the inspection, providing reassurance that:
“If a school was deemed to have put its pupils and staff at a more serious risk, then action would have been taken to reduce the risk to a tolerable level.”
Opus Homewares fined over B&M Bargains fire safety breach
Discount store chain Opus Homewares has reportedly been fined more than £7,500 after fire safety breaches were found at one of its stores.
The B&M Bargains outlet in Hartlepool’s Highlight Retail Park was found to have breached fire safety regulations a total of five times by blocking emergency exits. The obstructed exits were uncovered following a fire at the premises in September 2009, but Opus Homewares has only now been taken to court over the issue.
Speaking on behalf of Cleveland Fire Brigade, head of fire engineering Barry Waller explained:
“The fire broke out at the front of the store and, after the fire was extinguished by responding fire crews, it was found that several exits were unavailable or obstructed.
“The circumstances found at the time of the incident were such that they seriously compromised the safety of the occupants and that is not something the fire brigade can, or will, condone.
“It is important people realise we take these regulations very seriously and we will take such action whenever necessary.”
For their fire safety failures – which should have been dealt with as part of a fire risk assessment – Opus Homewares was fined a total of £7,500 and ordered to pay court costs of £4,000.