The owner of The Bank Hotel in Barking has been ordered to pay £50,000 after they continued to take guests despite being issued with a prohibition notice for ‘serious fire safety failings’ by London Fire Brigade (LFB) inspectors. LFB investigators found significant issues when visiting The Bank Hotel some months back. Deficiencies included a lack of fire doors, no smoke detectors and no fire alarm system. Additional concerns were raised as the first floor of the building was in an “obvious state of refurbishment and cigarette butts were found” on floors and windowsills.
Two months later, inspectors found the prohibition notice had been removed and guests had continued to be allowed to stay, with no obvious measures having been taken to remedy the fire safety issues. Sufficient measures were finally put in place by September 2018, after a final visit from inspectors.
The hotel owner was charged and found guilty after a trial, being charged £40,000 with several breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and was ordered to pay an additional £10,000 in costs. These breaches included:
• Lack of sufficient fire doors and numerous perforations between the first and second floors and
• Single means of escape were neither safe or effective due to potential hazards along the route
• Lack of appropriate fire detectors and alarms
• Two breaches of the prohibition notices
The Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner, Charlie Pugsley, said: “When our inspectors visited this property, it wasn’t immediately obvious it was a hotel, particularly given the state of the first floor, but it was clear guests had been staying in the building. “The lack of fire safety measures in place, coupled with the refurbishment work and numerous signs of cigarette butts, all could have been a recipe for disaster.
“The lack of a fire alarm and insufficient means of escape could have easily led to a fatality if there had been a fire in the premises. “It’s vital for all business owners to be aware of their legal fire safety responsibilities. “There’s no excuse for leaving people’s safety to chance, especially when information is so readily available to those with responsibility for safety in buildings to understand what their duties are and ensure they comply with the law.”
