Cheshire Councillor fined £45,000 for Fire Safety Breaches

A Councillor in Cheshire has been fined for fire safety breaches at a property he rented out.

Brian Silvester was fined £45,000 at Chester Crown Court for failing to obtain the necessary license for a house in multiple occupation (HMO) and 11 other fire safety offences.

The property had broken smoke alarms, no linked alarm system, blocked escape routes and out of date fire extinguishers. The property also contained a number of factors that increased the risk of a fire breaking out such as a poor wiring and a flooded cellar.

The Councillor for Willaston appeared in court with his brother Colin Silvester who was fined £37,500 for the same offences.

The brothers pleaded guilty to all  charges brought against them in relation to Shavington House Farm in Shavington when they appeared at Crewe Magistrates’ Court in July this year.

The brothers were also each ordered to pay costs of £22,000 by recorder Elgan Edwards.

Lee Shears from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The seriousness of the breaches could ultimately have led to serious injury or potential death in the event of a fire but thankfully one didn’t occur and we’ve not had to see any of those risks realised. They were very serious breaches, some of the most serious we have seen in premises of this type.”

A former tenant at the property said that he had serious concerns over fire safety at the building he resorted to leaving a lump hammer on a window sill in his room in case he needed to evacuate the building in the event of a fire.

He said: “The first thing I thought was how to get out in case of fire. I tied a long scaffold rope from a beam which I could throw out of the window. I literally had a lump hammer and a pair of gloves on the window sill so that I could smash the frame, because it was only a small window, and slide down the rope with a pair of gloves. It wasn’t a joke and it wasn’t for show, it had been there from the day I moved in.”

Head of Community Fire Safety Keith Brooks said:  “We are pleased with the result. Our aim is always to work closely with landlords, giving them all the support and guidance they need to ensure the safety of their tenants. However, failure to comply with the law can, as this case has shown, result in a prosecution.”