A Blyth takeaway and its director have been ordered to pay a total of £14,560 after breaching a Prohibition Notice served with the intention of preventing sleeping on the premises.

This is the second successful prosecution against the company for the same offence involving a failure to comply with Fire Safety Legislation.  

 

WCC Food Limited, trading as China Cook, on Waterloo Road in Blyth, and its director, were each ordered to pay £7,280 following a court hearing earlier this month.  

 

In September 2022, Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) found that the company and the director Zhong Sheng Zhang, 37, from Dene View Drive, Blyth had breached the Prohibition Notice when sleeping materials were found on the premises.  

 

Both the company and the director pleaded guilty, and each received fines of £5000 for breaching the Prohibition Notice. They were both ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and costs of £280 each, totalling £14,560.  

 

NFRS Group Manager for Protection, Richard Leighton said: “Where breaches of fire safety legislation are so serious that people could face serious injury or even death, we will take necessary enforcement action and when appropriate, prosecute, to ensure the safety of our communities.  

 

“This prosecution is as a direct result of information which NFRS received from our colleagues from Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) Public Protection, Environmental Health team. NFRS works closely with many NCC departments and partner organisations to deliver an effective, efficient service committed to making Northumberland safer.”