Abingdon landlord fined £20,000 for breaches of fire safety legislation
The owner of an Abingdon hotel has been fined for serious breaches of fire safety legislation that put the lives of guests in danger.
Roknor House, based in Bath Street, Abingdon housed a takeaway business on the ground floor and a hotel on the first and second floors. Fire safety inspectors from Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service visited the premises in March 2021 following a tip off.
During the visit, several serious fire safety issues were identified. These included the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems not working, lack of adequate fire-resistant structure between the ground floor takeaway and the sleeping accommodation above and no fire risk assessment in place.
The premises were considered so dangerous that inspectors issued an immediate prohibition notice preventing sleeping in the property until fire safety measures were improved.
Mr Chuhar Singh of White Way, Kidlington pleaded guilty to six breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at a hearing on 25 August 2023.
He returned to Oxford Magistrates Court on Friday 20 October 2023 for sentencing, where he was fined £20,000 and was also ordered to pay over £3,000 in costs.
Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service provides fire safety advice to businessperson and employees. Email: fire.service@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Fire and rescue crews work every day to save and improve the lives of people across the county. For more information, visit: 365alive.co.uk
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