10th July 2024
Blackpool Landlord Prosecuted For Fire Safety Failings
What’s Happened?
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has recently prosecuted a Blackpool landlord for his failure to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which put the lives and safety of tenants at risk.
Fire safety officers from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were understood to have carried out a routine inspection of the property as part of a multi-agency inspection process. Significant defects were identified to the property that resulted in the officers issuing the Landlord with a Prohibition Notice relating to a first-floor flat at the premises – which at the time was occupied by a tenant.
These breaches posed a serious threat to the life and safety of the occupier and anyone else who may have visited the property. As a result, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service decided to prosecute the Landlord for his failure to comply with the Fire Safety Order.
In Court
The Landlord appeared at Preston Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Fire Safety Order concerning the premises, the two offences are as follows:
- Failure to take such general fire safety precautions to ensure the safety of tenants
- Failure to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment
Following the guilty plea the landlord was sentenced as follows:
- Five months in prison to be served concurrently, suspended for eighteen months
- Three hundred hours of community service
- Twenty days of rehabilitation
- A fine of £7,500 for failure to comply with the Fire Safety Order
- £23,120 in costs to the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Speaking after the hearing, The Protection Department Group manager for the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “As part of our ongoing effort to make the county of Lancashire safer, our fire safety enforcement teams are actively identifying other dangerous premises. We hope the custodial sentence in this case sends a clear message that fire safety is paramount. The inadequate fire safety measures and management in this instance could have resulted in serious injury or loss of life, leaving us no choice but to take action.”
If you require any advice on fire risk assessment then do not hesitate to call our health and safety advice line on 0300 303 5228 or email us at info@lighthouseriskservices.co.uk.
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