Pub licence at risk over alleged fire safety failings

Kent Fire & Rescue Service issued an enforcement notice to The Red Dog last year

A pub in a Kent village is set to have its licence reviewed over alleged fire safety failings.

Kent Fire & Rescue Service said it found "serious concerns" at The Red Dog, in High Halstow, following a safety audit.

Management had failed to carry out suitable or sufficient fire safety assessments, according to fire officers, and the fire service has made a formal request to Medway Council to review the licence of the pub.

The Red Dog has been approached for comment.

A date for the hearing is yet to be set.

Officers visited the pub in October last year and found a lack of safety assessments and an inadequate fire warning and detection system, and the fire service issued an enforcement notice in December to fix the problems, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The officers returned to the pub on 28 January, the day before the notice was due to expire, to discuss a possible extension due to stated ill-health.

However, when the person responsible for fire safety at the pub was contacted about the expiring notice, they said they had not received it.

The fire service emailed the same day to arrange a visit to the pub to meet and discuss an extension to the notice, and explained a way to resolve the issues raised.

Officers set a deadline of 2 February for a date to be arranged for them to visit the pub again, but they say management did not agree to a meeting and all follow up communications from the fire service have been ignored.

It is now seeking a licence review by Medway Council, which could result in warnings, changes to the pub's licence, temporary suspension of the licence or having it revoked altogether.