Smethwick bar shut down for fire safety violations
A bar in the West Midlands town of Smethwick has been shut down by the fire service after a string of fire safety violations were uncovered.
Fire safety officers found that the fire alarms at Gill’s Bar and Restaurant appeared to have been disabled, and that emergency signs, smoke detectors and fire doors were not installed in the Rolfe Street venue. The escape routes in the restaurant weren’t properly marked, and the owners had seemingly ignored official fire safety advice when carrying out building works.
It is not known whether the restaurant’s owners had undergone fire safety training or not, although it seems unlikely.
Due to the blatant disregard for fire safety shown by premises licence holder (PLH) Rabinder Singh Gill and his father Rajinder Singh Gill, and the fact that there had been several emergency police call-outs to the premises over gang fights, the licence for Gill’s Bar and Restaurant was revoked.
Vij Randeniya, fire safety chief for West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“The PLH has allowed these premises to be used for the purposes of financial gain without balancing that gain against the provision of a safe environment for the public.”