Company must pay £8,500 for ‘serious’ fire safety issues

A FURNITURE company has been made to pay thousands of pounds after “serious” shortcomings in fire safety were uncovered at its Cynon Valley showroom.

Elegance Home Interiors, which is based in Barry, failed to hand over information to the fire service during an investigation that began in July 2016. The investigation was into “significant deficiencies” in the company’s fire precautions at its showroom, Sofas4Less, in Aberdare.

According to South Wales Fire and Rescue (SWFRS), the company failed to provide the information despite “numerous” letters being sent to the company about the premises at 20 Commercial Street.

SWFRS said that at a Cardiff Magistrates’ Court hearing on March 7, district Judge Martin Brown ordered the company and its director Kerry Powell to pay fines and costs in excess of £8,500.

Neither Powell nor a representative from the company attended court on the day and were found guilty, in their absence, of offences under Article 32 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Judge Brown, in summing up, said: “The case has been proved in the absence of the defendants… and South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority have fulfilled their duty in the investigation… [the law] demands and obliges companies to respond to correspondence.”

Steve Rossiter, head of business safety compliance for SWFRS, said: “This case could have been avoided if the company had responded to our requests.

“We would much prefer to work with businesses to help them reduce the risk of fire within their premises than to prosecute them.”