East London businesses fined for fire safety breaches

Press release: PR035/07 
Date: 13 July 2007

Two East London businesses have been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling almost £43,000 after pleading guilty to breaches of fire safety regulations.

The Kolapata restaurant in Whitechapel Road was fined the maximum £5,000 for each of four contraventions, including no fire alarm, no smoke alarm and non fire-resistant doors and windows. Costs of over 7,000 were also awarded against the Defendant. The court heard that the restaurant continued to trade whilst no effort had been made to comply with earlier enforcement notices. Magistrates considered the contraventions to be very serious and that by ignoring the notices they had put both their employees and customers at risk.

And Kundra Fashions and Novelties Ltd. a clothes shop in Commercial Road, has been fined over £9,200 with a further £6000 costs for nine breaches of the Fire Precautions Act 1971, including a rear exit door being locked shut, no lighting on a staircase and faults to the fire alarm system.

The court heard that the contraventions had taken place over a period of time and that there had been unreasonable delays in complying. The Judge believed the contraventions were serious but took into consideration the Defendants’ mitigating circumstances, including employing a fire safety consultant.

Reflecting on the successful prosecution, Tower Hamlets Borough Commander Dave Sharman said: “I would like to thank all of the officers and personnel who identified these issues and made this prosecution successful. I would also like to remind those responsible for properties of the need to carry out a full and comprehensive risk assessment and emergency plan.”

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Members of the media can obtain further information from the press office on:

telephone number: 020 8536 5922
email: press@london-fire.gov.uk