Jack Wills shop in York fined for fire safety breaches
A Yorkshire branch of the retail chain Jack Wills has reportedly been fined by the local fire service after breaching fire safety regulations.
The Jack Wills shop in York was first inspected by officers from the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (NYFRA) back in January 2011. At the time, store owners were informed that the premises were breaching fire safety rules and that improvements urgently needed to be made.
Problems at the store included:
- Damaged fire doors
- A single staircase escape route
- An alternative escape route that was not kept clear
- Poor levels of fire safety awareness, especially in relation to the dangers of storing combustible materials within staircase areas, amongst staff
Upon visiting the store again at a later date, officers were forced to issue an enforcement notice to ensure that standards were brought to the required level. Staff at the store said that they were waiting for authorisation from the London head office of Jack Wills in order to carry out maintenance work, which led to the business ultimately being prosecuted by NYFRA for failing to adhere to the notice in a timely manner.
At York Magistrates Court on December 13th this year, the company pleaded guilty to six breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and was ordered to pay a fine of £27,000 and court costs of £5,619.