A hotel company and its chief executive have been found guilty of ten offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Awan Investments Ltd were ordered to pay £27,000 in fines and costs, while Malik Mohammed Bashir paid £5000.
The company manages Ventures hotel in the Paddington area of London. Officers from London Fire Brigade visited the hotel on 2 March 2009 after concerns were raised by two guests following an overnight stay. They found a number of fire safety failings including no suitable or sufficient fire risk assessment, blocked emergency exits and wedged open fire doors. The officers issued an enforcement notice detailing the issues and setting a timeframe for them to be remedied.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
London Fire Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation, Steve Turek, said: “The general public should feel safe from fire when they are staying at a hotel and the responsible person must make sure their premises comply with the regulations.”
