Park Hotel in Leicester
A Leicester hotel and its manager have been ordered to pay more than £41,000 over a list of fire safety failings discovered after a fire.
The fire authorities yesterday told Leicester Magistrates' Court that although no one was seriously injured in the fire blaze at Park Hotel, London Road, it could so easily have been different result because of the lack of fire safety in place at the hotel.
The court heard how staff and guest had to find their own way out of the building during the fire, last August, because there was no fire action plan in place.
A couple resident and working for the hotel and living in the basement with their child, did not hear the fire alarm and took 20 minutes to get out of the building.
Yesterday, hotel director Parkash Kalra, who represented the Hotel in court, and the manager Ashwin Ratan each pleaded guilty to ten charges of failing to meet, or maintain fire safety regulations and measures.
The failings included leaving fire doors wedged open, failing to have fire alarm maintenance of the fire alarm panel. The fire alarms and fire detection were not tested on a weekly basis and checked in accordance with the Standards. There was not a suitable fire risk assessment in place and it had not been reviewed.
Hazel Padmore, for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service, said: "No-one suffered any serious injuries from the fire, but we could have easily been dealing with a different and far more serious situation.
"There was a high risk of death or serious injury because of the fire safety deficiencies."
Fire crews took two hours to extinguish the blaze on August 13. It was caused by a candle and damaged several guest bedrooms.
Ms Padmore said although Ratan was classed as the person responsible for ensuring fire prevention and safety at the hotel, he had not been trained and accepted he was not competent to manage fire safety.
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