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The property had broken smoke alarms, no linked alarm system, blocked escape routes and out of date fire extinguishers.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.”
Scottish house fire numbers decrease but number of fatalities rises
Recent figures have shown that the number of house fires in Scotland has dropped to its lowest level in over 10 years. Sadly, although this figure has dropped, there has been a 10% rise in deaths.
Figures show that 57 people died in fires in 2011-12, compared with 52 in 2010-11. Around 45% of these fatal house fires were caused by matches and smoker materials and cooking appliances were responsible for 58% of all accidental house fires.
17% of these accidental house fires were thought to have been connected to drink or drugs.
A particularly shocking statistic is that in nearly 50% of house fires in 2010-11 there was either no smoke alarm, or the smoke alarm did not work.
Community safety minister, Roseanna Cunningham said: “It is thanks to the work of fire and rescue services – which I have seen fantastic examples of in schools, workplaces and communities – that house fires are continuing to decrease across Scotland and lives are being saved. It is a tragedy however that lives continue to be lost to fire every year. Every death is devastating and underlines that we all need to be on our guard against the risks. Once again, alcohol and/or drugs were suspected to have been a factor in at least one in six accidental house fires. Although other key figures in this publication indicate an improving awareness of the danger of fire in our homes, this underlines that a link remains between alcohol, drug use and fire. The most important message we can give is not to be complacent and always be on your guard. We also urge you to get a smoke alarm and check it regularly to ensure it is in working order.”
David McLetchie, Scottish Conservative community safety spokesman said: “The news that house fires in Scotland are at their lowest in a decade is a testament to the hard work of officers in raising awareness of fire prevention in Scotland’s communities. However, it’s of great concern that a greater percentage of fires in people’s homes are involving alcohol or drugs. Equally worrying is that fatality and casualty rates in Scotland remain considerably higher than the rest of the UK.”
English and Welsh statistics are not yet available for comparison.
£21,000 fine for fire safety breach chip shop owner
The owner of the Beach Break Cafe fish and chip shop in Brighton has been found guilty of breaching fire safety regulations.
Ms Coull who owns the café was fined £21,000 after pleading guilty to breaching 6 fire safety regulations. The case was heard at Brighton Magistrates Court.
The breaches were discovered after a fire broke out in the property in 2011. The cafe had no emergency lighting and only one domestic standard smoke alarm, which was not working properly. A fire risk assessment had not been carried out in the property and staff had not been given any fire safety training.
Richard Fowler from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “The public should continue to be reassured that we take any breaches of fire safety legislation very seriously.”
Chinese restaurant manager fined for fire safety breaches
The manager of a Chinese restaurant in Cambridge has pleaded guilty to 16 fire safety breaches.
A visit from fire protection offers and environmental health officials revealed a range of health and safety breaches at the Tang Chinese Restaurant.
Investigators discovered that the loft of the premises had been converted into accommodation and was being used by staff. It had no fire exit, fire alarm system or emergency lighting.
Xueling Teng, pleaded guilty to the breaches when he appeared before Peterborough Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.
Only two days before the conviction, he had actually resigned as the manager of the restaurant.
Steve Cotton from Cambridge Fire and Rescue Service, said: “These breaches were putting lives at risk. This prosecution should serve as a message to other business owners that the Fire Safety Order cannot be ignored – it is there to save lives.”
Mr Teng was fined £2,000 for the breaches and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.
Norwich HMO landlord fined £20,000 for breaching fire safety regulations
The manager of a house in multiple occupation has been fined over £20,000 for breaching fire safety regulations.
53 year-old, Abdul Bashir was manager of the Prince of India restaurant on the ground floor and members of staff lived in the flats above. Mr Bashir pleaded guilty to the charges at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on Friday 28th October.
The breaches were discovered when an inspection was carried out by Norwich City Council on 9 February 2011. Investigators found that Mr Bashir had failed to provide adequate escape routes, fire doors and fire alarms.
Mr Bashir was fined £4,500 for each charge, totalling £18,000 and was also ordered to pay costs of £2,200.
Luke Parker at Norwich City Council, said: “These are serious breaches primarily relating to fire safety, which the council considers unacceptable. The prosecution was brought because he has a history of failing to maintain living conditions in a safe and proper manner at this property. He has been warned about conditions before but failed to improve and maintain the means of escape in case of fire. The aggravating factors are the number of occupants at risk from fire and living in poor conditions, and the length of time occupants were exposed to this risk.
Otis Hernandez, private sector housing officer for Norwich City Council, said: “The result sends out an important message to people that the council will take action against those whose negligence puts others at risk. That a fine so close to the maximum was handed out demonstrates the seriousness of these offences.”
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that you: ‘must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed’
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Our team of experienced and qualified Fire Risk Assessors will perform a full Fire Risk Assessment of your premises, and provide you with a comprehensive document detailing the risks found and recommendations to minimise the risks.