Commercial building owners fined for fire safety breaches

A father and son have had to pay more than £30,000 after breaching fire safety legislation.

Suhail Sawar, 23, and his father Tariq Sawar, 45, pleaded guilty at Manchester City magistrates’ court on 20 September to breaches at two multi-occupancy units they rented out for commercial use, in Derby Street, Manchester.

Suhail was fined £17,500, plus £3,365 costs after admitting seven offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including failure to comply with an enforcement notice, failing to provide an appropriate fire alarm and failing to provide an appropriate emergency lighting system.

These offences related to a two-storey building called Lawrence House.

Tariq was fined £7,500, plus £2,480 costs for fire safety offences at a two-storey building called Victoria House. His offences included failing to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and failing to comply with an enforcement notice.

Peter O’Reilly, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service director of prevention and protection, said: “It was made clear to these two men that they alone were the responsible individuals for ensuring the fire safety of people in the respective buildings they owned.

“They comprehensively failed to do this, despite enforcement notices being issued.”