24 May 2012
The boss of a Manchester clothing shop has been punished for a range of serious safety breaches, according to official reports.
Joel Lever, owner of Mon Amie Studios, was ordered to pay nearly £8,500 in fines and costs for failing to put any fire precautions in place at his shop in Prestwich, by officials at Bury and Rochdale Magistrates’ Court.
At the May 17 hearing, justices heard Lever plead guilty to seven breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Evidence, gathered at an inspection of the premises, found staff with no fire safety training, several exits blocked by locked doors or shutters and untested fire extinguishers.
Commenting after the hearing, director of prevention and protection at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Peter O’Reilly said: “Mr Lever was responsible for undertaking a fire risk assessment for his shop and failed to do so, putting staff and customers at great risk.
“The locking of fire doors is totally unacceptable and common sense dictates that routes to and through fire exits should be kept clear.”
Copyright Press Association 2012