On May 11, 2011, Mr David Lui, who runs The Dial Hotel and The Market Inn in Mansfield, and Mr John O'Rourke, a risk assessor from Mansfield Fire Protection Services, both pleaded guilty to breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Nottingham Crown Court.

Both defendants will be sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday July 8 at 10am.

As part of normal inspection processes, officers from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service visited the premises on Market Place. They found that both premises were being used to provide sleeping accommodation on the upper floors and that fire precautions, which should have been provided to safeguard the occupants in the event of a fire, were inadequate.

Due to the serious risk to life that was being presented to occupants, they issued prohibition notices preventing any further use of both premises for sleeping accommodation until suitable improvements had been made.

Mr O'Rourke was prosecuted because he had prepared fire risk assessments for both premises. However the fire risk assessments failed to identify a number of significant deficiencies within the premises, which would have placed the occupants at serious risk in the event of a fire.

 

Posted: 10.21, 07/07/11, rachael.haydon@pavpub.com