Care Home Directors Hit With £124k Fire Safety Fine
The East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) has slammed the directors of Care Pro (Southeast) Limited with a whopping £124,455 fine. The hefty penalty follows multiple fire safety breaches found at several care homes, exposing vulnerable residents to serious danger.
12 Fire Safety Offences Admitted in Court
Directors Mr. Thuraisamy Ravichandran and Mrs. Radha Ravichandran pleaded guilty to a dozen fire safety offences in April 2024 at Brighton Magistrates Court. Final sentencing was handed down today by District Judge Szagun, who described the offences as highly culpable with medium harm potential.
Serious Fire Safety Failings Across Four Properties
- Park Apartments, 14 Egerton Road: Failure to take general fire precautions, risk assessments, fire-fighting/detection, and maintenance – 4 offences.
- Eden Lodge, 16 Egerton Road: Failure to take general fire precautions and fire-fighting/detection – 2 offences.
- Park View, 25 Egerton Road: Failures in fire precautions, risk assessment, and fire-fighting/detection – 3 offences.
- Beau Lodge, 7 Jameson Road: Failures in fire precautions, risk assessment, and fire-fighting/detection – 3 offences.
These breaches violated The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, putting residents at risk due to defective fire doors and inadequate alarms.
Furious Judge Slaps £110k Fine Plus Costs
The court fined £27,500 per offence for four of the most severe charges, totaling £110,000. Additional costs include a £2,000 victim surcharge and £12,455 in legal fees.
“We take this responsibility seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute anyone endangering lives through fire safety neglect,” said Area Manager George O’Reilly, head of Fire Safety for ESFRS.
Group Protection Manager Craig Williams added, “This is one of the most serious cases we have prosecuted, with multiple offences across several care homes. Owners must understand the risks — failure to comply can mean unlimited fines and even jail.”
This landmark ruling sends a stark warning: fire safety laws are not to be ignored, especially when vulnerable lives hang in the balance.
