Latest Prosecutions - June 2018

The latest prosecutions highlight a £25,000 fine for a managing agent, who put tenants at risk, and a landlord in Peterborough who was fined £5,000 after ignoring requests to make improvements to a property. These fines continue to serve as an important reminder of fire safety.

Case 1

The owner of a house in Peterborough has been fined £5,000 after being found guilty of a long list of offences. Landlord, Rashid Alyas had been warned by Peterborough City Council following a visit in 2016 to make improvements to his property.

Despite being granted a time extension to complete the work, Mr Alyas housed a family in an overcrowded and dangerous property having failed to make any of the recommended improvements.  It was reported that the property was at serious risk of fire when the following issues were identified:

- No smoke alarms

- A faulty electric shower

- Hazardous light switch

You can read more about this prosecution at the following link:

https://www.fia.uk.com/news/5000-fine-and-costs-for-landlord-who-had-no-smoke-alarms.html

Case 2

A hefty fine was handed to a Reading man following a successful prosecution from Reading Council.  Mr Russell, a managing agent, and his property company Martin Russell Property Services Ltd failed to maintain fire standards in a four-storey multiple occupancy building was ordered to pay costs of almost £25,000.

Reading Magistrates Court heard that officers from the  Council’s Private Sector Housing Team inspected the HMO in August 2017 and identified a number of serious fire safety breaches as follows:

- Main fire alarm system was not working

- Obstructed hallway

- Inadequate fire doors

- Damage to the fabric of the building

- Fire extinguishers not being maintained in working order

- Damaged electrical fittings

Read more about this story at the following link:

https://www.fia.uk.com/news/landlord-who-ignored-order-to-fix-fire-alarm-fined.html

These cases serve as a vital reminder of the responsibilities building owners have with regards to fire safety. 

Here at Vulcan we offer a range of fire training courses to help both companies and individuals understand what to do in the event of a fire.

Learn more about the range of courses on offer here.