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Fines slashed for snooker club boss

17/ 4/2008

The former manager of Accrington Snooker Club, in court for flouting fire safety laws, has had his fines cut from £8,000 to £800 on appeal.

Zafar Aslam, 25, had told the fire service he had bought the Abbey Street business, so fire safety was solely his responsibility.

But Burnley Crown Court heard that his father owned it and a judge said he should have been prosecuted as well.

Aslam, now jobless and said to be heavily in debt, had earlier been fined £8,000 with £3,432 costs by Hyndburn magistrates after being convicted in his absence of eight charges under the Fire Safety Orders. The judge also reduced the costs to £500.

The court had been told how the club was shut down in February last year after a fire service visit revealed that lives could be at risk.

It re-opened two days later after the breaches were put right.

Fire chiefs found no risk assessment had been done at the club, the fire alarm was not maintained, there was no proper firefighting equipment, combustibles such as gaming and vending machines were on the escape route, some fire doors had been removed and fire safety training had been inadequate.

Judge Andrew Woolman said the fire service did not investigate who owned the club.

Aslam, who had probably been shielding his father, who did not speak English, clearly could not pay much and the original fines had been too high.

Warren Spencer, for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said there was only one exit route from the two-storey building. The first-floor landing was the centre of the exit route and contained gaming and vending machines. He added: "Had any of these ignited, the wooden staircase would have vanished and there would have been no exit route."

Joseph Hart, for Aslam, said the difficulties were remedied in 48 hours. Aslam was anxious his father would not think him incapable of running the club and took the responsibility on himself. He was simply the manager.