News and Events

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) has recently concluded their prosecution case against a fire alarm engineer company for their failure to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which subsequently put the lives and safety of residents and employees of a care home at risk. 

On 1 December 2020, Fire Safety Officers inspected the Morvern Care Centre, 11-13 South Promenade, Thornton-Cleveleys, FY5 1BZ.

The fire safety breaches posed a serious threat to the life and safety of all residents and staff of the care home. Resulting in the issuing of a Prohibition Notice on the premises.

At the time of the inspection, the care home was occupied by 45 elderly and vulnerable residents, as well as the staff employed by the care home.  Over the following two weeks, a co-ordinated multi-agency approach was followed to relocate the residents into other available care facilities.

As a result, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service prosecuted Fylde Fire Systems Limited for their failure to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO), which they pleaded guilty to on 15 October 2024.

The three offences to which Fylde Fire Systems Limited pleaded guilty to were:

• Failure to ensure the premises were equipped with appropriate fire detectors and alarms. Article 13(1)(a) FSO.

• Failure to safeguard the safety of relevant persons by ensuring that any facilities, equipment and devices provided in respect of the premises were subject to a suitable system of maintenance and were maintained in an efficient state and in an efficient working order. Article 17(1) FSO.

• Failure to co-operate with other responsible persons, so far as was necessary to enable compliance with the requirements placed upon them. Article 22(1)(a) FSO.

On Wednesday 7 May 2025, sentencing took place at Blackburn Magistrates Court, where Fylde Fire Systems Limited were sentenced and received the following sanctions:

• A fine of £30,000, and a £2,000 victim surcharge for failure to comply with the above articles of the Fire Safety Order.

• Fylde Fire Systems Limited was also ordered to pay £18,725 in costs to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

Ian Armistead, Protection Department Group Manager for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“This Prosecution sends a clear message that any company or individual that has a responsibility for undertaking fire safety duties or works, must do so competently and adequately.

 

Fire safety and protecting those that occupy any regulated premises must always be a priority. In this instance Fylde Fire Systems Limited failed to protect those people that were reliant upon them for helping to keep them safe from the risk of fire and ultimately left Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service with no other option than to take regulatory action against them.

 

This outcome sends a strong message to all fire alarm companies and fire safety professionals alike, that you must be competent to perform any type of fire safety duties, especially when you are working in complex, high risk premises types where those that occupy the premises are reliant on you to help keep them safe.

 

It is also important that anyone who is deemed as a responsible person(s) under the Fire Safety Order 2005, ensures that they engage and employ only suitably qualified and competent persons to undertake works.

 

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service will always work with those willing to address fire safety issues and businesses can be assured that we will continue to support them in complying with the Fire Safety Order.

We would urge responsible persons and those with legal duties who need to take action to comply with fire safety regulations to visit the Business Safety section of our website, which contains safety information for businesses and landlords."