Cheshire: Owner of hotel prosecuted for fire safety breaches

William Scott Anthony Hanson was told that his actions ‘put profit before people’, and that he had a ‘flagrant’ regard for rules designed to keep people safe.

As proprietor of the Main Top Hotel on Mersey Road, Widnes, he appeared for sentence at Liverpool Crown Court today, Thursday, having previously pleaded guilty to nine counts of serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order.

But he was spared an immediate sentence of imprisonment.

Warren Spencer, prosecuting, told the court that Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service inspecting officers found serious deficiencies and breaches of the order during an inspection on June 27, 2019.

At the time, a number of guest bedrooms were being rented out and were occupied. The former public house has 10 guest bedrooms, a kitchenette, laundry and boiler room.

The deficiencies included having no working fire alarm system to alert people to a fire breaking out, escape routes being compromised due to missing fire doors and inappropriately maintained emergency lighting on escape routes.

Among the other breaches were combustible materials being stored in escape routes, the absence of fire doors separating the kitchen from rooms used for sleeping and inadequate fire resistant 'compartmentation' to prevent the spread of smoke and fire.

In addition, inspectors noted a failure to maintain fire extinguishers, no emergency plan for guests and no fire risk assessment were being carried out.

Such was the risk to occupants, inspecting officers immediately served Hanson with a notice prohibiting the use of the premises for living and sleeping accommodation.

Hanson was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

The notice was accompanied by a schedule of works to make the premises safe before allowing people to stay.

The fire service made a number of visits to check the notice was being complied with, but while on a visit on August 20, 2020, it was breached through four residents staying there.

In sentencing, judge Garrett Byrne said that Hanson had ‘put profit before safety’, and that he had put people at risk of serious injury or death.

He described Hanson’s failure to comply with the prohibition notice as ‘cynical and flagrant’, handing him a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Hanson was also ordered to pay £5,000 in costs, undergo 35 days of rehabilitation and undertake 80 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Following the hearing, Lee Shears, head of prevention and protection at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Fire safety is a key part of good business management, and Hanson showed little or no regard for the safety of guests sleeping at the Main Top Hotel.

“This was compounded by the fact that he ignored the prohibition notice and failed to take our advice to make the premises safer.

“We always aim to help and support any business to operate safely, however this case shows that we will take action when fire safety responsibilities are not taken seriously.”

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has a dedicated protection and business safety team that offers advice and support to businesses to enable them to operate safely.

To find out more, visit cheshirefire.gov.uk