A property manager has been fined more than £26,000 for fire safety breaches at a car wash and café site in Wokingham
The prosecution follows an extensive investigation carried out by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) in 2023. As reported by BBC News, Artan Hyseni managed the Winnersh site where the “serious fire safety deficiencies” were identified.
The inspection revealed a lack of fire detection and firefighting equipment at the property, inadequate means of escape in an emergency, and the lack of a fire risk assessment. It led to Royal Berkshire Fire Authority bringing a prosecution case against the property manager.
At Reading Magistrates’ Court on 26 March 2025, Hyseni pleaded guilty to three charges under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. During sentencing, he was ordered to pay £6,666 for each of the three offences. In addition, Hyseni was told to pay a victim surcharge and the fire authority’s prosecution fees. The costs and fines amounted to a total of £26,441.35.
Commenting on the case, Rachel Bloomfield, Prevention and Protection Change and Improvement Manager at RBFRS, said:
“This successful prosecution demonstrates to businesses that we will act where necessary to protect the public should they not take their commitments to fire safety seriously.
“We will always try to work with businesses to help keep them, their customers, and our community safe. However, cases like Mr Hyseni’s show that we will take decisive action to ensure that the law is upheld if people’s safety is at stake.”