Lancashire landlord jailed and fined £10k for failing to comply with fire safety regulations

A Lancashire woman has been jailed and ordered to pay £10,414 after she "put the lives of her tenants at risk".

Landlord, Angela Chang, pleaded guilty to six breaches of a fire safety order at properties in Cleveleys.

It came after fire safety officers inspected the flats located above Great Fortune House on Victoria West and St Georges Lane on March 29, 2021.

The flats were occupied at the time by several employees of the restaurant, a family of three and a builder undertaking work on the premises.   

Officers found there was no fire detection in place and the properties were cluttered with rubbish and old mattresses which prevented her tenants from exiting the building safely.

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They subsequently issued a prohibition notice on the flats above the premises for failing to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

The six offences to which Ms Angela Chang pleaded guilty to were: 

• Failure to take such general fire safety precautions so as to ensure the safety of tenants.
• Failure to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. 
• Failure to ensure that the premises were equipped with appropriate fire detectors and alarms.
• Failure to ensure that people could evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible.
• Failure to properly maintain an appropriate fire evacuation procedure for the premises.
• Failure to safeguard the safety of relevant persons by ensuring that any facilities, equipment and devices provide.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said the breaches "posed a serious threat to the life and safety of the tenants."

Chang was prosecuted by LFRS for her failure to comply with the fire safety order and the prohibition notice.

She pleaded guilty to the above charges on December 27.

Chang was sentenced to three months in prison after appearing at Preston Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, March 19.

She was also ordered to pay £10,414 in costs to LFRS. 

Ian Armistead, Protection Department Group Manager for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Ms Angela Chang is the responsible person for these premises, and as such has a legal duty to ensure that people who use her premises are provided with a safe environment. We hope that this prosecution will ensure that the standard of her properties is kept within the requirements of the law.

"In our constant drive to make Lancashire safer, our fire safety enforcement teams are always actively seeking out other dangerous premises. We would hope that the outcome of this particular case where a custodial sentence has been issued, sends a clear message that fire safety must always be a priority.

"In this instance the consequences of the inadequate fire safety measures and inadequate management could have led to serious injury or loss of life and circumstances left us with no other option but to take this action.

"Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service will always work with those willing to address fire safety issues and businesses can be assured that we will continue to support them in complying with the Fire Safety Order. 

"We would urge landlords and responsible persons who need to take action to comply with fire safety regulations to visit the Business Safety section of our website, which contains advice and guidance on how to comply with your legal duties."