ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FOUND HIDING IN BOXES
DOGS SNIFF OUT FAILED ASYLUM SEEKERS AT DEATH-TRAP MILL
ILLEGAL immigrants were found hiding in cardboard boxes at the death-trap premises of a bedding wholesaler.
The workers were discovered by sniffer dogs after officers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and border officials teamed up for a surprise inspection of the sprawling, dimly-lit T&A Textiles complex at Newton Heath.
At the Bower Street site – which includes a four-storey mill, warehouses and a showroom – the investigators found twenty workers, eleven of whom were illegal.
They also found a shocking catalogue of fire safety breaches that meant if a blaze had broken out at the premises, the chances of those workers getting out alive were slim.
Now T&A Textiles, which has a £9m turnover, has been hit with a £51,000 fine after admitting eight fire safety breaches. A Manchester Crown Court sentencing hearing was told that in the event of a fire, workers would have to travel distances of up to 200m in the dark, and then have to open roller shutters to get out.
The risk of a blaze spreading rapidly was compounded by the layout of the building, where boxes of combustible materials were stacked in a ‘haphazard’ fashion to the rafters, emergency exits were locked and blocked, and the fire alarm and smoke extractor were broken.
A hole between floors, exposed wiring and the presence of a gaspowered forklift truck added to the tinderbox potential of the building, which backed directly onto a canal without a towpath.
The fire service handed the business a prohibition notice, preventing the business from operating normally. It remained in place for two years while the issues were sorted out.
Prosecuting, Elizabeth Dudley-Jones said the men found hiding in boxes were unsuccessful asylum seekers and illegal overstayers. They have since been deported, although an immigration prosecution against the company was discontinued due to lack of evidence.
She told court: “The working area was very dim and had no artificial lighting. Boxes were stacked in such a way there were no walkways leading to the exit – the only available exit if there was to be a fire was a roller shutter. People would have to negotiate long distances in the dark in smoke, in potentially toxic gases
“The manner in which boxes were stacked meant a fire would spread very quickly filling the premises with toxic smoke and there were no clear routes out of the premises.
“Vulnerable persons were placed at risk because of their illegal immigration status, we say those people may not have been reported or accounted for in the event of a fire.
“The risk was serious, had a fire occurred the conditions were such that escape would have just been unlikely, it’s death in this case.”
Benjamin Nolan QC, defending T&A Textiles, said the business had suffered a ‘whacking great loss’ this year, adding: “The most significant reason is the prohibition notice, because the stock was impounded. It may be self-inflicted, but it doesn’t affect the final outcome, that is this dire financial position. It’s a hardworking company and it may go out of business.”
The company, which claims to have suffered a £1m loss in the last financial year, was represented in court by director Adnan Aslam, who was overseas at the time the workers and fire safety breaches were discovered.
Sentencing, Judge Jinder Singh Boora said: “Had there been a proper risk assessment that obvious and foreseeable risk would have been readily identified. Vulnerable people were placed at risk, (but) this is a company that has learnt its lessons.”
Peter O’Reilly County Fire Officer and Chief Executive said “This is one of the worst cases of fire safety failings we have seen. The risk to workers if a fire occurred was obvious to anyone, all the fire exits were locked or blocked and in some areas of the warehouse workers would have had to travel 200 metres to try and escape in a fire.
“That is a very long way in the dark through toxic smoke and with no clear exit routes. The company knew about the Fire Safety requirements and chose to ignore them. On the day of the inspection 20 workers were at risk and 11 of those were illegally working so were less likely to report concerns and may not have been reported or identified if a fire had occurred. A fire in this building in 2014 had the potential to cause multiple fatalities.”