The New County Hotel was ordered to improve its fire safety measures by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) just weeks before a fire broke out that left three people dead, it has been revealed.
The tragic fire in which three people and a dog died broke out in a top-floor room of the Perth hotel on 2 January 2023, with fire crews describing it as a "very complex incident".
The three people who died have since been named by SFRS, and Area Commander Jason Sharp – the SFRS’s Local Senior Officer for Dundee, Angus and Perth, and Kinross – said: "This was an extremely serious incident, and a joint investigation alongside Police Scotland is ongoing.
"It is important to allow the joint investigation to continue to establish the full facts and circumstances."
An exclusive report by The Courier has revealed that the SFRS carried out a safety audit at the Perth hotel on 12 December 2022. At the time, it raised 21 concerns, with inspectors noting the following in their report:
- deficiencies in the emergency lighting system
- fire doors that did not provide the correct fire resistance
- a recommendation that a competent person should inspect the electrical mains installation
- questions over the fire resistance and integrity of walls or ceilings in the stairwell between the first and second floor, the boiler plant, and the electrical supply intake room
- the presence of air transfer grills in the bar and reception that may allow the passage of smoke and fire to the first floor and fire may spread unchecked
- a recommendation for a survey to be carried out on the adequate compartmentation and fire resistance of each floor separating a storey used for sleeping
- the necessity for all employees to understand the emergency fire action plan, including all relevant personal evacuation needs.
Full details of the report can be found on The Courier website. Additional health and safety warnings were raised by environmental health officers at Perth and Kinross Council. The notices concerned the state of the windows and uneven flooring within the building, and it was reported that “guests do not feel safe within the hotel during the night” because the front door was left open with “no ‘competent’ staff on shift overnight”. The council stated that improvements in security were needed, and the owners of the hotel were reportedly given 28 days in which to complete the necessary works.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney expressed his own concerns over the issues raised by guests staying at the hotel prior to the tragic fire: “These issues raise concerns, that’s why it’s important that we have a full, proper, and comprehensive investigation as there always is in the circumstances where there is a fatality involved.
“Fire death is relatively rare within Scotland, which means that when it happens it’s more deeply shocking and has to be properly understood and examined.”
New County Hotel is believed to be owned by the Edwin Hotels group, led by a British businessman, Rashid Hussain. The hotel is reportedly managed via Perth Hospitality Ltd – another company that Hussain owns.
The Isle of Wight Observer reports that a second hotel run by Hussain was also found to have a plethora of fire safety issues. According to official reports, the Melbourne Ardenlea Hotel in Shanklin had a risk of “serious personal injury with the danger of fire, explosion, gas leaks, and carbon monoxide”. The Isle of Wight Council initially closed the hotel in July 2021, after issuing prohibition notices regarding the hotel’s gas and electricity supplies. However, the hotel reopened some weeks later. More on this story can be found on the Isle of Wight Observer website.