Blackpool hotel owner sentenced for fire safety failings that could have seen 'widespread loss of life'

10 June 2020 by
Blackpool hotel owner sentenced for fire safety failings that could have seen 'widespread loss of life'

The owner of a hotel on Blackpool's Promenade has been handed a nine-month suspended prison sentence after he continued to welcome guests despite being closed by officials over fire safety concerns.

Alan Diamond, owner of the Cornhill Hotel, was sentenced almost two years after Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) first received complaints of issues with fire alarms at the property.

A further complaint was received in August 2018 and subsequently inspectors found the fire alarm was switched off while guests were staying in the property.

Cornhill hotel
Cornhill hotel

In response LFRS banned the hotel from accepting guests, stating that no one should enter the property other than to undertake remedial fire safety works.

However, Diamond continued to advertise the hotel and LFRS identified three separate occasions where paying guests stayed at the property.

Mark Hutton, fire protection group manager for LFRS said: "These were extremely serious fire safety failings which, had a fire occurred in the hotel, were highly likely to have led to widespread loss of life, serious injuries and potentially far-reaching damage to the wider community and reputation of Blackpool as a safe place to visit and stay."

In court Diamond had pleaded guilty to a number of fire safety offences.

Main image: Shutterstock. Hotel picture: Google

The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media Group is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking