22 Nov 2012
A court has fined the proprietor of a hotel in Swindon for not giving information that the fire and rescue service had requested for a fire safety assessment of the premises.
Ivy Hotel owner Darioush Keynejad pleaded guilty for his failure to provide the legally required information to the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service before the deadline.
The fire and rescue service inspectors had asked the hotel in Wroughton for the information in order to carry out a full fire safety assessment of the hotel, including the identity of the person in charge. Failure to comply with such requests is an offence under article 27 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
At the Swindon Magistrates’ Court hearing Keynejad was ordered to pay a total of £1,265 for the violation, which included a £500 fine, a £750 payment against Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service’s costs and a victim surcharge of £15.
During the hearing Keynejad explained to the court in his defence that he was not clear about what he was supposed to do when the enforcement notice and the information request arrived. He also said that a family member’s illness had diverted his attention away from his responsibilities as a hotel owner.
“Any failure of fire safety arrangements in non-domestic premises can endanger both employees and the public, particularly in premises that provide sleeping accommodation,” said Iain Hunter, group manager and head of fire safety for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Copyright Press Association 2012