|
In the first case, JJB Sports plc was fined £17,400 for six breaches of the Order at its store at Friern Bridge retail park in North London. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £6,150.
The failings, which included fire escapes that were locked or partially blocked by stock and an empty portable fire extinguisher, came to light during a fire service visit in December 2007.
In mitigation, the company said the failings were not representative of JJB but of mismanagement within the particular branch, and that subsequent fire training had enhanced safety at the store.
In the second prosecution, the owner of a hairdresser in east London was fined £4,000 for nine breaches of the Order. A fire service investigation of the Cutting Room and Beauty Basement in March 2007 identified a number of faults, including no emergency lighting in the basement, no fire alarm and no smoke detection system.
A notice was issued giving the owner four months to fix the problems but, when the inspectors returned in July, they found that no works had been carried out.
Defendant Mustafa Ismail maintained that all of the outstanding contraventions had now been remedied.
|