£20,000 Fine for landlord found guilty of fire safety breaches

A  Worthing Landlord has been fined £20,000 for serious fire safety breaches following a fire in a first-floor flat.

 

Three fire engines attended a fire at the flat in Portland Road, Worthing, on the 14th of May 2017.

Firefighters led two residents to safety from a flat on the second floor after the staircase became filled with smoke issuing from the fire on the first floor. One person was treated at hospital  for smoke inhalation.

Smoke detectors failed to operate, and sleeping residents were not warned of the fire West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service found poor fire safety standards and took legal action against the Landlord Terry Mills who was fined £20,000, the fine was initially set at £30,00 but was reduced following a guilty plea from Mr Mills. In addition the Fire and Rescue Service were awarded costs of £1700

The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order requires the Responsible Person to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and act on the findings of that assessment.