Hartlepool flats fire: Firms fined for safety failures

The fire began in one flat and quickly spread through the building

Pure luck and the speed of firefighters stopped a blaze at a block of flats riddled with fire safety failures from being fatal, a judge has said.

Seventeen people had to be rescued from Tower Chambers in Hartlepool in February 2021.

Two companies were fined and a fire risk assessor given a suspended prison sentence after admitting multiple offences at Teesside Crown Court.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said they had all put lives at risk.

The court heard the fire started in one of the block's 18 flats at about 05:15 GMT on 2 February 2021, with smoke and flames rapidly spreading throughout the building.

Two people were rescued from upper windows and three had to be walked through the "smoke-filled and burning building" by firefighters, barrister Joseph Hart said on behalf of Cleveland Fire Brigade which brought the prosecutions.

A subsequent investigation found multiple serious failings, including:

• A broken fire alarm system which failed to sound

• Defective fire doors lacking proper seals and self-closing mechanisms

• A failure to properly compartmentalise the building

• No evacuation plan or fire drills for residents

• No training for residents on the importance of keeping doors closed

Mr Hart said although the building was owned by another company, the block's management agency Asset Property Management (APM) was ultimately responsible for communal areas and fire safety requirements.

The Hartlepool-based firm, founded by former banker Paul Edwards, tasked Total Events Safety Teams (Test), formed by security specialist David Todd, to carry out a fire risk assessment of the building in June 2020.

It brought in Justin Morgan, a friend of Mr Todd's son, to complete the assessment.

Tower Chambers has commercial properties on the ground floor and 18 flats above

The court heard Morgan, 37 and of Crosslake Gardens in Skelton, specialised in fire and rescue at industrial sites but had never worked in, and did not have accreditation for, residential properties.

Mr Hart said Morgan's assessment was seriously flawed and had multiple errors, including a "misapprehension of the nature of the building" such as a failure to realise it had a basement.

In his report, Morgan said residents should have a "reasonable" amount of time to get out if effective "compartmentation" was in place to stop a fire spreading.

But later, on the same page, he indicated such compartmentation was not of a "reasonable standard", Mr Hart said.

"He made assumptions that would have put [residents] at risk of death or injury," the prosecutor said, adding Tower Chambers provided "relatively cheap accommodation, often for individuals who could not be housed elsewhere".

Although his report had deficiencies, Morgan did "clearly identify a number of issues" that needed rectifying but "nothing was done about them" by APM, Mr Hart said.

'Incompetent piece of work'

In mitigation, Stephen Constantine, for Morgan, said his client accepted he was "lacking in experience" in dwellings.

The judge ruled Morgan, who admitted two charges, had carried out an "incompetent piece of work". He was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with 120 hours unpaid work and costs of almost £5,400.

For APM, Paul Abrahams said the firm was chiefly a lettings agents and would be ending its property management services.

The company was fined £25,000 after admitting four offences, with the judge saying he was "very surprised" Mr Edwards had not been prosecuted personally, adding if convicted he would have been at "serious risk" of imprisonment.

Representing Test, Michele Turner said Mr Todd had been seriously ill in hospital at the time, with his family keeping his company going.

The firm admitted one charge, was fined £10,000 and both companies were ordered to pay about £12,200 in costs.

The judge said there had been a "significant and comprehensive failure" by each defendant, putting a "significant number of people at substantial risk".

He said it was "nothing more than a combination of pure chance" and the speedy response of Cleveland Fire Brigade that meant there was no loss of life.

The judge also heavily criticised APM's actions since the fire, adding: "Even now little work has been done to correct defects and what has been done is deficient."

Mr Hart said fire inspectors remain concerned about the building's safety as, during an inspection after the blaze, they found some "of the problems appeared to have been literally papered over" with inadequate plasterboard and "foam squeezed" into holes.

He said another inspection was scheduled for November.