Manchester landlords jailed for fire safety breaches
Two Manchester landlords have been jailed after their properties were deemed to have breached fire safety regulation.
Israr Fazal and his son Shahbaz Fazal pleaded guilty to breaching the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and were each sentenced to three months in prison. Both men were also ordered to pay £8,975 costs.
The charges related to eight first-floor flats in Hale, with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) revealing that the pair failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and did not ensure escape routes could be used quickly and safely.
Peter O’Reilly, director of prevention and protection at GMFRS, said: “There was no means of raising the alarm if a fire started in these properties and their escape route would have been blocked by refuse and discarded furniture.
“Badly maintained electrical systems and serious structural defects meant that, if a fire had broken out, the chances of survival for any of the residents would have been extremely low.”
