Alarms - Extinguishers they must be working!

Blackpool hotel "posed threat" to guests


A COMPANY whose 35-bed Blackpool hotel posed a severe risk to guests and staff in the event of a fire has been ordered to pay more than £8,000 in penalties by a court.
Magistrates heard that the owner of The New Central Hotel, Reads Avenue, which was capable of housing up to 90 guests, repeatedly failed to bring the premises up to the standard required by the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. The fire alarm was not working in parts of the hotel, fire doors were missing or damaged and some of the electrics were dangerous. Owner, Retson Limited, of Reads Avenue, Blackpool, admitted eight offences under fire safety rules. The company was fined £6,600 with £1,928 costs and ordered to pay the £15 victims' surcharge by Blackpool magistrates. Presiding magistrate, Michael Bryan, said: "We consider this to be extremely serious as it involves protection of the public." Warren Spencer, prosecuting for the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said on October 16 last year the four-storey hotel, which had a basement, was inspected. A number of fire safety breaches were noted and the service issued an enforcement notice demanding the company carry out work to bring the premises up to standard. The company was allowed two extensions of the notice to complete the work. On April 4 this year fire officers visited the hotel again. They found parts of the fire alarm not working and fire doors missing, damaged or wedged open. An electric lightbulb was hanging down on wiring near flammable materials. Piping was unprotected and there was a hole in the roof on the second floor which would have allowed the spread of flames and smoke had there been a fire. The prosecutor said: "It was the service's view at the time of this inspection that fire safety had been neglected and disregarded. The safety of guests and staff had been compromised." Trevor Colebourne, defending, said company secretary Shuaib Peracha had bought the property only on August 16 last year. It was the company's first venture into hotels and the property was in disrepair. Some of the work needed was done immediately and guests were only allowed in areas where a fire alarm was operational. It cost the company £19,000 to rectify the faults and the hotel now complied in all respects with the fire service's requirements.
Blackpool fire safety team leader, Sean Hennessy, said after the case: "The fire authority seeks to ensure Blackpool is a safe place to stay at. Retson Limited refused to take advice. "This should be a warning to hotel owners and managers of sleeping accommodation that enforcement notices must be complied with. The consequences of not complying may result in an appearance in court."