A fire service has raised its concerns about the safety of living accommodation over pubs, clubs and restaurants after a takeaway owner was convicted of fire safety offences.
Kenan Olmez, owner of Best Favourite Chicken & Rib in Trowbridge, pleaded guilty to seven offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
In February 2009, fire safety officers carried out an inspection of the premises after concerns were raised by Wiltshire Council’s environmental health officers.
During the inspection serious fire safety failings were found which, said the fire service, put an employee and customers at risk had there been a fire.
Officers served a prohibition notice, preventing the premises from being used for sleeping accommodation. They also served an enforcement notice, requiring improvements in the fire safety measures and management of the business.
After visits over the next year, including an inspection after a small fire in November 2009, it was found that Mr Olmez was not complying with either the enforcement notice or the prohibition notice. New fire safety failings were also discovered since the original inspection.
On 14 October, at North Wiltshire Magistrates’ Court, Olmez pleaded guilty to seven offences. These were failure to undertake a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; storage of combustible materials and obstructions on the means of escape; a final fire exit was not easily and immediately available as it was locked with a key; a fire door between the kitchen and the means of escape was wedged open, missing the self-closing device, missing the door jamb and missing the smoke strips and intumescent seals; an internal fire door on an escape route was found to be locked with a key; a fire door on the first floor was found to be wedged open; and the prohibition notice was not being complied with.
Olmez was fined £1,100 for each offence, although this was reduced to £742 for each breach because of his early guilty plea. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 costs.
After the case, Julian Parsons, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service group manager, said: “This is the result of two years’ hard work by our officers in what has proven to be a difficult and complex case to investigate.
“We have become increasingly concerned about the safety of living accommodation associated with pubs, clubs and restaurants and takeaways, and we are working very hard with partner agencies to educate businesses to improve fire safety in these types of premises.”