Business Given Largest Ever Fine for Fire Safety Failings
The former owner of a London hotel has been hit with what is said to be the largest ever fine for fire safety failings. Salim Patel formerly owned the Radnor Hotel in Bayswater, London. He was handed a fine of £200,000 for the violation of fire safety regulations and risking the lives of his guests. The London Fire Brigade said that the hotelier had breached numerous fire safety rules. They reported that the hotel was missing fire doors, had inadequate fire detection systems in place, did not meet emergency lighting requirements and was not in possession of a fire risk assessment. Additionally, the London Fire Brigade found shocking evidence that the basement storeroom had been used for sleeping.
At a sentencing hearing, Mr Patel was handed a fine of £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £29,922 for offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He also received a four-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months.
Head of fire safety regulation at London Fire Brigade Neil Orbell commented: “Our fire safety officers carry out around 16,000 inspections every year to help ensure the capital’s buildings are safe from fire.
“This is the biggest fine we have ever secured against an individual for breaking fire safety laws and it should send a message to all business owners that if they are shirking their fire safety responsibilities and putting the public at risk we won’t hesitate to prosecute.”
He added that he hoped the huge fine would act as a deterrent to others who are failing to take fire safety seriously.