Firefighter dubbed 'rogue landlord' for fire hazard flats

Tenants were at risk of dying in a fire, facing electric shock or being hurt in a fall, prosecutors said

A firefighter has been fined £15,000 and described as a "rogue landlord", in part due to inadequate fire safety measures in some of the flats he owned.

Mark Neary, 49, pleaded guilty to six charges related to three flats on Eston High Street in Middlesbrough.

Tenants were at risk of dying in a fire, facing electric shock or being hurt in a fall, prosecutors told Teesside Magistrates Court.

Neary is currently on sick leave from Cleveland Fire Brigade.

The court heard partition walls in the properties did not offer adequate fire barriers, wires were exposed and general refuse was left in communal areas.

"Magistrates will have heard of rogue landlords in the media," said prosecutor Christopher Machin. "Mr Neary is one of those rogue landlords."

'Little regard'

Redcar and Cleveland Council became involved in July 2022 following complaints that communal doors were not secured, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Various efforts were made to contact Neary, who owns close to 30 properties, but there was "very little response", according to Mr Machin.

Neary has been a firefighter for over 25 years.

"Of all of the people who should have been aware of the importance of fire safety, he seems to have shown little regard for the fire safety of his tenants," Mr Machin added.

Victoria Molloy, for the defence, said Neary had always maintained good relations with his tenants and the local authority.

She described a troublesome tenant who had previously moved into the flats and said the debris scattered about was "indicative of the type of tenant residing in the property at the time".

Neary is currently under investigation by Cleveland Fire Brigade, Ms Molloy said.

His wife, Karen, who had been jointly charged in the proceedings, was told that matters against her had been dropped.