Hornsea Garden Centre: Sale of 'dangerous cushions' leads to £18,000 fine

After testing, it was deemed the cushions posed a serious fire risk

A Lincolnshire-based company that runs a garden centre in East Yorkshire has been fined £18,000 for selling unsafe scatter cushions.

The case was brought by East Riding of Yorkshire Council trading standards after a routine inspection at Hornsea Garden Centre in April last year.

Two non-labelled cushions were taken away for inspection, before officers returned and seized another 118.

After testing, it was deemed the cushions posed a serious fire risk.

A representative of Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centres Ltd, based near Alford, pleaded guilty to six charges of breaching fire safety regulations at Beverley Magistrates' Court at a hearing on 31 January.

The firm was subsequently fined £3,000 for each charge and ordered to pay costs of £4,854, plus a victim surcharge of £2,000.

The cushions were forfeited and destroyed.

'Failed in its obligations'

Officials said samples of the cushions, which were designed for indoor use, had all failed flammability testing.

Daniel Padgham, East Riding of Yorkshire Council's trading standards manager, said: "These cushions were very dangerous and posed a serious fire risk to those who had bought them.

"The company involved in this case is an experienced trader which failed in its obligations in relation to the safety regulations when simple physical checks would have revealed the inadequate labelling of the products.

"I would urge anyone buying items such as cushions and soft furnishings to ensure they have the correct safety labels attached so they know the items they are taking into their homes are safe," he added.