A landlord has been jailed for 3 months and fined £10,414 in costs after a successful prosecution brought by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS). The two properties owned by the landlord posed a serious threat to the life and safety to the tenants.
The two properties, one of which was a restaurant, were initially inspected in March 2021 and a prohibition notice was subsequently issued after a number of fire safety failings were identified.
In December 2023 the landlord admitted the breaches of the following offenses:
Failure to take such general fire safety precautions to ensure the safety of tenants
Failure to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment
Failure to ensure that the premises were equipped with appropriate fire detectors and alarms
Failure to ensure that people could evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible
Failure to properly maintain an appropriate fire evacuation procedure for the premises
Failure to safeguard the safety of relevant persons by ensuring that any facilities, equipment, and devices provided.
On 19th March 2024 the landlord appeared at Preston Crown Court where they were sentenced to 3 months imprisonment and ordered to pay costs of £10, 414 to LFRS.
LFRS’s Protection Department Group Manager, Ian Armistead, said: “Ms Angela Chang is the responsible person for these premises, and as such has a legal duty to ensure that people who use her premises are provided with a safe environment. We hope that this prosecution will ensure that the standard of her properties is kept within the requirements of the law.
“In our constant drive to make Lancashire safer, our fire safety enforcement teams are always actively seeking out other dangerous premises. We would hope that the outcome of this particular case where a custodial sentence has been issued, sends a clear message that fire safety must always be a priority. In this instance, the consequences of the inadequate fire safety measures and inadequate management could have led to serious injury or loss of life and circumstances left us with no other option but to take this action.
“Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service will always work with those willing to address fire safety issues and businesses can be assured that we will continue to support them in complying with the Fire Safety Order.
“We would urge landlords and responsible persons who need to take action to comply with fire safety regulations to visit the Business Safety section of our website, which contains advice and guidance on how to comply with your legal duties.”