19 Nov 2010
Fire safety breaches often lead to catastrophic fires and subsequent loss of property and life

Michael John Snow was slapped with a £24,000 fine earlier in the year at Nottingham Crown Court.

Temporary events organisers are not exempt from complying with fire safety regulations as one individual found out after he was prosecuted for falling foul of rules. According to thisisnottingham.co.uk, Michael John Snow was slapped with a £24,000 fine earlier in the year at Nottingham Crown Court for organising a car boot fair in Mansfield.

In addition to the fine, he was handed a six-month suspended sentence and ordered to do unpaid work after pleading guilty to eight breaches of fire safety regulations, including blocked potential fire exits. However, on appeal, the 54-year-old of Derwent Crescent, Newbold, Chesterfield, had his fine halved for being "candid" about the violations at the indoor market at Botany Commercial Park.

Nevertheless, Mr Snow will still have to pay £9,000 in legal costs following the breaches, which highlight the importance of the Responsible Person ensuring all rules are abided by. A case against a landlord at Leeds Magistrates Court also recently resulted in him being fined for not putting an adequate fire detection system in place at his property in addition to other violations.