Fines and prosecutions Nightclub receives prohibition notice
VOODOO LOUNGE in Accrington was closed down hours after reopening when Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) handed the owners a prohibition notice over fire safety concerns. This Is Lancashire reported
on the closure of the Accrington nightclub, which was ‘newly- refurbished’ and had opened ‘just hours’ before the notice was served by LFRS officers. The club owners claimed it had been ‘broken into’ and had seen a ‘considerable amount of damage’ alongside having ‘numerous pieces of equipment stolen’. However, it later turned out that
the venue had been closed down by senior LFRS officers who issued a prohibition order, having visited in the early hours of the morning after receiving reports of fire safety concerns. They issued the notice the following day, ordering the owners to ‘cease trading until a number of safety concerns had been rectified’. The club had already closed
down after a previous relaunch, due to a burst pipe flooding the building, and the police licensing department was due to inspect
raised by the fire service on Saturday.’ A spokesperson for the nightclub
it before the prohibition notice was served. An LFRS spokesperson stated: ‘We sent a senior officer to the premises just before the club was due to close and the officer then returned to the club later that afternoon with another member of the fire service and inspected and a number of fire safety concerns were found. ‘A prohibition notice was issued and an investigation is now under way. They will not be able to re-open the club until the safety concerns are dealt with. We believe concerns were
responded that it had been targeted by burglars on the opening night, and had seen £10,000 worth of money, audio and visual equipment, stock, fixtures and fittings, a CCTV box and other goods stolen. They added that the crime had been reported, but that they had not received a log number ‘as they had been broken into a number of times before and had never had the situation resolved’. The spokesperson commented:
‘There’s a handful of people trying to wreck our business and the concerns the fire service had were raised following the break-in. The fire service received four hoax calls on Friday morning, from someone saying there was a fire at the club. ‘All four times, we were cleared
and given the go-ahead to open. Our utmost priority is public safety which is why we agreed to have the fire brigade come back after the break-in and we are now complying with the prohibition notice.’
Jail sentence for pub landlord over fire issues Rod Schneider, business
TONY STEARMAN received his sentence after he failed to ensure his pub in Exeter met fire safety standards. Devon Live reported on the
prosecution and sentencing of Mr Stearman, who was the landlord of the Poachers Inn in Ide. Officers from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) inspected the pub in 2017 and found that Mr Stearman had ‘failed to implement’ the recommendations made in a recent fire risk assessment. Among the breaches of the
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 [FSO] of which he was accused was the fact that the fire detection and warning system ‘fell far short of the standard expected’ in a premises that provided guest accommodation, while the
escape route from this accommodation ‘was not adequately protected by fire resisting construction’, and ‘discharged directly’ into the bar. Finally, a linen cupboard
situated in the escape route housed an electrically powered immersion heater and, when asked why he had not acted on the recommendations made, Mr Stearman said he had treated it as something that he ‘ought to do’ rather than something ‘he had to do’.
He pleaded guilty at Exeter
Magistrates Court to five offences under the FSO, and was sentenced to 17 weeks in jail suspended for 18 months, alongside being ordered to pay £5,000 in costs to DSFRS and a victim surcharge of £115.
safety manager at DSFRS, commented: ‘Mr Stearman understood the need for a fire risk assessment, yet failed to comply with the requirements of the Fire Safety Order by ignoring advice from those he had appointed to assist. ‘He was well aware of his fire
safety responsibilities and the need to ensure people visiting and staying at the premises were safe yet put lives at risk by prioritising profit over safety. ‘The majority of businesses
in Devon and Somerset take their responsibilities seriously. However, those that decide to place people at unnecessary risk will be subject to appropriate enforcement action by DSFRS.’
www.frmjournal.com JUNE 2019 17
NEWS
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