13 Apr 2012
A Salford hotel owner has pleaded guilty to 10 different breaches of fire safety regulations after a blaze broke out just over a year ago.
The fire occurred on April 13 2011 at the White Lodge Hotel in Cheetham Street West and a guest had to be rescued from a first-floor room by firefighters, despite the manager claiming that the building was empty.
Fire safety officers were shocked at what they found in the immediate aftermath of the fire and placed a prohibition notice on the hotel to prevent people from staying there.
Empty fire extinguishers, faulty fire alarms and no emergency lighting on an escape route were some of the more obvious dangers.
But officers also discovered that a fire door had been removed, staff had not received sufficient training and there was no appropriate fire risk assessment.
“This could have been a very serious incident. It is unacceptable for a hotel business not to have proper procedures in place and put lives at risk,” said Peter O’Reilly from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
Hotel owner Sultan Chaudhry admitted the 10 breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
Copyright Press Association 2012