Restaurant manager fined over fire breach
A chinese restaurant manager was fined £2,000 for failing to meet fire safety standards – just days after he quit.
Fire protection officers and environmental health officials from Cambridge City Council visited Tang Chinese Restaurant in Napier Street only to discover it was breaching 16 Fire Safety Orders, including converting the loft into accommodation with no fire exit. Xueling Teng, owner of the restaurant, pleaded guilty to all charges at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court – two days after he quit – and was told he could be fined tens of thousands of pounds just days after handing back the keys to Charles Wells Pub Company, which owned the premises.
However, due to the nature of Mr Teng’s finances this was limited to £2,000 for breaches, plus £1,000 costs.
One of the breaches related to the loft space of the building being converted into living accommodation with inadequate means of escape and no fire alarm system or emergency lighting installed.
The conversion placed occupants at risk of death or serious injury in the event of a fire, so a prohibition notice was served on the premises meaning parts of the building could not be used until improvements were made.
The 16 breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 were then highlighted during a visit.
The case emerged following close work between Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and Cambridge City Council.
Steve Cotton, head of fire protection for the fire service, said: “These breaches were putting lives at risk. This prosecution should serve as a message to other business owners that the Fire Safety Order cannot be ignored – it is there to save lives.”
Mr Teng claimed when he spoke to the News he was unaware that staff were living in the loft conversion, which he said was used for storage space.
He said: “The staff maybe used the place because the business was getting hard and they were under terrible pressure. At that time I was not living there as I had a headache and wanted some piece of mind.
“I have lost everything. It’s a disaster.”
Charles Wells Pub Company confirmed Mr Teng’s tenancy ended on April 24 and a caretaker is in place to look after the site.
Fire protection officers and environmental health officials from Cambridge City Council visited Tang Chinese Restaurant in Napier Street only to discover it was breaching 16 Fire Safety Orders, including converting the loft into accommodation with no fire exit. Xueling Teng, owner of the restaurant, pleaded guilty to all charges at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court – two days after he quit – and was told he could be fined tens of thousands of pounds just days after handing back the keys to Charles Wells Pub Company, which owned the premises.
However, due to the nature of Mr Teng’s finances this was limited to £2,000 for breaches, plus £1,000 costs.
One of the breaches related to the loft space of the building being converted into living accommodation with inadequate means of escape and no fire alarm system or emergency lighting installed.
The conversion placed occupants at risk of death or serious injury in the event of a fire, so a prohibition notice was served on the premises meaning parts of the building could not be used until improvements were made.
The 16 breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 were then highlighted during a visit.
The case emerged following close work between Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and Cambridge City Council.
Steve Cotton, head of fire protection for the fire service, said: “These breaches were putting lives at risk. This prosecution should serve as a message to other business owners that the Fire Safety Order cannot be ignored – it is there to save lives.”
Mr Teng claimed when he spoke to the News he was unaware that staff were living in the loft conversion, which he said was used for storage space.
He said: “The staff maybe used the place because the business was getting hard and they were under terrible pressure. At that time I was not living there as I had a headache and wanted some piece of mind.
“I have lost everything. It’s a disaster.”
Charles Wells Pub Company confirmed Mr Teng’s tenancy ended on April 24 and a caretaker is in place to look after the site.