- Salim Patel received a fine this week after a successful prosecution
- He was also handed a four-month sentence, suspended for 18 months
- Fire safety violations were discovered during a routine inspection
- Court proceedings began after Mr Patel ignored an enforcement notice
- Hotel is under new ownership, said London Fire Brigade spokesman
The former owner of a Bayswater hotel has been hit with London’s biggest ever fine for an individual for violating fire safety rules.
London Fire Brigade said guests’ lives were put in jeopardy due to the shoddy conditions which were discovered inside The Radnor Hotel during an inspection in 2011.
It brought charges against then-owner Salim Patel, who was fined £200,000 this week after a successful prosecution.
In addition to the six-figure fine, Mr Patel was ordered to pay nearly £30,000 in court costs after pleading guilty to seven offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He was also handed a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Neil Orbell, head of fire safety regulation, said: “This is the biggest fine we have ever secured against an individual for breaking fire safety laws and it should send a message to all business owners that if they are shirking their fire safety responsibilities and putting the public at risk we won’t hesitate to prosecute.
“The size of the fine should also serve as a stark reminder that the courts take fire safety just as seriously as we do.”