Fire doesn’t wait for you to get your paperwork in order. And as several local businesses and landlords have discovered the hard way, neither do the fire authorities.
From cafés to care homes, from landlords to restaurateurs, businesses across the South East are being prosecuted for failing to meet basic fire safety rules — often because they didn’t have a valid fire risk assessment or failed to act on its findings.
Here are 10 real cases where cutting corners ended in courtrooms.
1. West Malling: The £46,000 Café Catastrophe
In July 2024, The Swan Brasserie, a well‑known local eatery, stood in court facing serious fire safety charges after Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS) inspected its garden annex in December 2021.
Inspectors discovered it lacked a fire risk assessment entirely, had no alarm or detection systems, and suffered from poor emergency lighting.
Even more worrying, the sole escape route was obstructed by power cables, debris, and required guests to exit through a marquee before reaching safety—a clear violation of Articles 8, 9, 13, and 14 of the Fire Safety Order.
In court, the company pleaded guilty to five offences.
The result was a £30,000 fine, £16,215 in legal costs, and a £190 surcharge, totaling approximately £46,405.
Kent FRS publicly stated this case sends a clear message: “If you oversee a business, you are legally obligated…”
Read more on the official KFRS site ➝ KFRS News
2. Canterbury Takeaway That Had No Alarms… At All
In mid‑June 2021, investigators entered Canterbury Masala, a take-away situated in a tightly packed Northgate lane.
They found no fire alarms, no fire risk assessment, and an emergency exit door that was not fire-resistant or self-closing.
To make matters worse, an overhead boiler partially blocked that door, and there was no emergency lighting whatsoever.
These conditions posed a real threat to staff and customers, especially when cooking fires are a live possibility.
By July 2023, the takeaway had pled guilty to breaching Articles 9, 13, 14(2)(b), and 14(2)(h) of the Fire Safety Order.
They were fined £4,000, ordered to pay £19,293 in costs, plus a £190 surcharge — over £23,000 in total. Kent FRS reinforced that no business, regardless of size, is exempt from compliance.
Details here ➝ KFRS News and ➝ Fire & Security Matters ShepwayVox
3. Maidstone Takeaway Flats – Kent
Late in 2022, Kent Fire & Rescue Service visited a Maidstone takeaway where elderly employees and others were living in flat‑above‑shop accommodation.
Despite the obvious risk, there were no operational smoke alarms, and no safe escape route separating the living quarters from the commercial kitchen below.
The situation was deemed dangerous enough for KFRS to issue a prohibition notice, forcing temporary closure until safety improvements were made.
Proceedings continued into 2023, with the business owners taking their case to court.
They were ultimately ordered to pay approximately £15,400 in legal costs — a hefty price for risking occupants’ lives by ignoring fire responsibilities.
The business owners are now no longer associated with the business, or the building.
See the full case details ➝ KFRS News
4. Wokingham Property Management – Berkshire
In 2025, Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service (RBFRS) took action against a landlord managing multiple flats in Wokingham.
The fault list was extensive: no fire risk assessments, no installed alarms or extinguishers, broken or non-compliant emergency lighting, defective fire doors between units, and unsafe glazing.
Firefighters described corridors akin to fire-traps with blocked escape routes and a virtual absence of basic fire precautions.
In a court session in April 2025, the landlord was fined £16,000, plus an additional £6,647 in costs—totaling around £22,647.
RBFRS emphasised that landlords bear full responsibility for their tenants’ safety and compliance under the Fire Safety Order. Read more from RBFRS ➝ RBFRS News
5. Maidenhead Restaurant – Berkshire
Following a kitchen fire in 2021, investigators discovered an upstairs flat connected to the restaurant lacked critical fire safety measures.
The building had no automatic fire alarm system and no fire-resisting doors separating residential and commercial areas.
Such separation is essential to prevent fire spread—a basic requirement under Article 13(4) of the Order.
The owners appealed when fined, but lost in 2022.
A final tally of £85,000 in fines, plus significant legal fees, was upheld.
This case highlights the dangers of mixed-use properties and the importance of fire compartmentation.
More from industry news ➝ FSM News
6. Morven Healthcare Ltd – Kenley, Surrey
Operating a care home carries extra responsibility—something Morven Healthcare Ltd learned the hard way.
When London Fire Brigade inspected the Kenley-based home, they found serious risks to vulnerable residents.
The building’s fire risk assessment hadn’t been updated, escape routes were blocked, and detection systems were missing.
Even more alarming, there was no emergency plan, and staff hadn’t been trained in fire safety procedures.
Given the age and health conditions of the residents, these failings were extremely dangerous. LFB prosecuted the owners in May 2014.
The company pleaded guilty to multiple breaches of the Fire Safety Order and was handed a £45,000 fine.
The case served as a stark warning to care providers across the region: it’s not enough to assume staff will know what to do—you need systems in place and evidence that they work.
Source: Fire Protection Association – Summary of Cases
7. Birch Residential Homes – East Grinstead, West Sussex
In May 2025, the director of Birch Residential Homes appeared in court after fire inspectors uncovered serious safety breaches in a block of flats in East Grinstead.
The investigation by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service revealed no fire detection system, no safe escape routes, and no valid fire risk assessment—despite the building housing multiple tenants across several storeys.
These are core failings that put lives at risk in any residential property.
The fire authority took swift enforcement action, and the director was fined over £3,000.
Though not a large fine, the case highlighted the growing focus on residential landlord accountability, especially for properties with shared entrances or multiple occupancy.
It also served as a reminder that multi-storey residential blocks carry specific legal duties, and ignorance is not a defence.
Source: Fire Industry Association
8. Unnamed Property Company – West Sussex
Also in West Sussex, another property company found itself on the wrong end of a fire safety prosecution in June 2025.
Though the fire authority declined to release the company name, they confirmed the firm was operating a residential premises with multiple serious breaches of the Fire Safety Order.
The exact failings weren’t disclosed, but the case still resulted in a £17,800 fine, underscoring how seriously West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service takes non-compliance in housing.
The message from the authority was crystal clear: where fire safety isn’t treated as a priority, they will prosecute.
Whether you’re managing student lets, converted townhouses, or a block of flats—if you haven’t assessed and addressed fire risks, you’re gambling with people’s lives and your own livelihood.
Source: West Sussex Fire & Rescue via FIA
9. Alma Residential Care Home – Sheerness, Kent
In January 2019, Alma House care home in Sheerness was shut down by Kent Fire & Rescue Service after a visit revealed it posed an immediate danger to life.
Fire officers issued a prohibition notice, effectively banning the building from being used as accommodation until serious risks were addressed.
Reports indicated the building lacked a proper alarm system, fire compartmentation was inadequate, and emergency procedures were either non-existent or undocumented.
This meant that vulnerable residents—many of them elderly—had no reliable means of escape in a fire.
The care home never reopened under the same management, and the case served as a high-profile example of how fire safety failings in care settings can lead not only to prosecution but to complete closure of a business.
News Reference: Kent Online / FSM
10. Shirley Towers Fire – Southampton, Hampshire
While no business owner was fined in this case, the Shirley Towers fire in 2010 remains one of the most tragic—and influential—fire safety incidents in Hampshire’s history.
Two firefighters, Alan Bannon and James Shears, lost their lives while tackling a blaze in the high-rise residential block.
The inquest and subsequent investigation revealed a catalogue of failings, including confusing building layout, poor emergency lighting, and a lack of effective signage or wayfinding.
These conditions made it almost impossible to navigate the tower during a fire.
Although it didn’t end in fines, the tragedy led to widespread fire safety reforms—especially in the management and design of high-rise buildings.
The lessons from Shirley Towers continue to influence policy to this day, and it’s a reminder that the consequences of poor fire safety can be permanent.
Read more: Wikipedia – Shirley Towers Fire
11. FirstPort Ltd (Gibson Court) – Guildford, Surrey
In April 2017, Surrey Fire & Rescue Service prosecuted FirstPort Ltd (formerly Peverel Management) after a fatal fire at Gibson Court in Hinchley Wood.
A resident died after the blaze spread unchecked due to no proper fire risk assessment, poorly maintained fire barriers in the roof space, and untrained staff.
The company pleaded guilty to four offences under the Fire Safety Order: failing to assess risks, maintain fire precautions, and train personnel.
At Guildford Crown Court, they were fined £360,000, plus £100,000 legal costs — totaling £460,000, one of the largest fines to date.
The Assistant Group Commander emphasized that such a “devastating blaze” must not happen again, and that enforcement authorities “will not hesitate to prosecute.”
Surrey News (Surrey CC)
12. HJ Tenger Holdings Ltd – Surrey
In March 2017, Surrey Fire & Rescue prosecuted HJ Tenger Holdings Ltd after 25 people were discovered living illegally in what should have been a disused head office in Surrey.
Internally partitioned with makeshift bedrooms and cooking areas, the premises had no fire alarms, no fire doors, and blocked exits.
The conditions presented an extremely high risk.
The company pleaded guilty to three offences and was fined £7,500, plus £9,982.58 costs and a £120 surcharge, totalling £17,602.58.
A magistrate noted the seriousness of the breaches and warned that the situation “could have ended very badly.”
➡️ FIA News
13. Chinese Restaurant Conversion – Surrey
This incident involved a former office turned into a residential refuge for more than 25 occupants without adequate fire precautions.
Surrey Fire & Rescue prosecuted after finding no proper escape route, insufficient fire detection, and no extinguishers or safe exits.
The company received a fine of £2,500 per offence, totalling £7,500, and over £9,900 in costs. The magistrate stressed the “serious offences”, noting the likelihood of a tragedy.
➡️ FIA News
14. Kent Business (Unnamed) – April 2025
In April 2025, a Kent-based business — reported by KFRS — was taken to court for failing to implement basic fire safety measures to protect staff and customers.
A Kent FRS inspection discovered no fire detection or warning system, no risk assessment, and inadequate emergency exits.
The court fined the company £30,000, added a £190 surcharge, and imposed £16,215.03 in costs.
Area Manager Suzanna Amberski stated that enforcement is essential to remind all businesses: “If you oversee a business, you are legally obligated…”
➡️ KFRS News
✅ What You Should Do Now
- Get a professional Fire Risk Assessment — clear, compliant and tailored to you.
- Act on its recommendations — install alarms, lighting, extinguishers, and safe exits.
- Train your staff and create an evacuation plan.
- Review/update regularly, especially after refurbishments, new leases, or layout changes.
- Document everything — records may be your defence during inspections.
🛡️ Don’t Wait to Be Next
Authorities like Kent FRS, Surrey FRS, Hampshire FRS, Berkshire FRS, and West Sussex FRS are increasing inspections in both commercial and residential spaces, focusing on vulnerable sites such as care homes and flats.
📞 We Can Help
Protect your premises—and your peace of mind—with our comprehensive fire safety services:
- Professional Fire Risk Assessments
- Alarm system design, supply, and maintenance
- Extinguishers, emergency lighting, signage, and training
