The Swan Brasserie Limited, a restaurant located at West Malling, Kent, pleaded guilty in 2024 to five charges under the Regulatory Reform Order 2005. The fines levied reached £30,000 and, in addition, the restaurant was ordered to pay £16,215.03 in costs and a £190 victim surcharge. The penalties were imposed at Medway Magistrates’ Court after the Kent Fire and Rescue Service prosecuted the company following an inspection in December 2021. The inspection uncovered multiple critical deficiencies in the restaurant’s fire safety measures.
The inspection focused on a rear garden building at the premises and identified several serious violations. These included failing to take general fire safety precautions, as combustible items and power cables were found along the ground floor’s means of escape, increasing the risk of fire spread. Additionally, the company failed to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. The premises lacked appropriate fire detection equipment and alarms. The sole escape route from the first floor of the rear garden building required navigating through multiple rooms and a single staircase to reach a marquee, making it untenable in the event of a fire. Finally, emergency routes and exits lacked adequate emergency lighting.
Suzanna Amberski, a customer and building safety/area manager at Kent Fire and Rescue Service, stated: “We hope the sentence issued in this case will serve as a reminder to other businesses across the Kent and Medway region to consistently adhere to fire safety regulations in order to avoid prosecution and, most importantly, to keep everyone safe.”
“If you oversee a business, you are legally obligated to ensure the safety of everyone who works at or visits the premises. This responsibility applies to all without exception.”
“We are always ready to provide support and advice to any business in need. However, if businesses fail to comply with fire safety regulations and endanger lives, we will take legal action when and where necessary.”
