£25,000 fine for 'death trap' pub

摘要

A publican has been ordered to pay more than £30,000 in fines and costs for fire safety breaches following a fire at a Hertfordshire pub. The fire at The Bell in Hoddesdon occurred in 2014 and a subsequent investigation by Hertfordshire County Council identified multiple, serious safety breaches. These included the main fire alarm not being fully operational, ineffective fire doors and emergency lighting, and a smoke detector having also been disabled by being covered with plastic. The pub's leaseholder, Graeme Kerry, appeared at St Albans Crown Court on 13 May and pleaded guilty to breaching the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He was fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £6,819 in costs within 12 months.