Southampton landlord Malcolm Hoskins’ £25,000 bill for flouting fire rules

Malcolm Hoskins, 59, was renting out 12 rooms at the address in Shirley Avenue, Southampton, when he was found to be flouting fire safety laws.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue investigators found Hoskins had: ■ Not carried out a suitable fire risk assessment.

■ Left combustible items in an emergency exit.

■ Not fixed a faulty fire door that didn’t close automatically.

■ Allowed electrical items on a ground floor fire escape.

■ Not checked the fire alarm which did not work.

■ Not replaced a missing fire door in the lounge.

Shortly after the inspection Hoskins was also found to be in breach of a prohibition notice forbidding him having tenants on the first-floor because of the fire risk.

Ernest Wollner, prosecuting on behalf of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said a previous inspection of the same building – then used as Elm Lodge Rest Home – had found Hoskins responsible for seven fire safety deficiencies back in 1994.

He said the latest breaches came to light following a fire safety audit carried out in May 2007 after Hoskins started letting out rooms to tenants.

Mr Wollner said: “This defendant has been less than co-operative and less than truthful in some matters.”

Hoskins, who lives at the Shirley Avenue property, pleaded guilty to six breaches of fire regulations and failing to comply with a prohibition notice.

The court was told the qualified electrician, who until recently was unemployed and in receipt of benefits, had started taking in new tenants after the prohibition notice was lifted last November.

Mark Sullivan, mitigating, said that things went wrong for Hoskins in 2007 because he was going through a “lengthy and acrimonious” divorce.

“Since these offences the defendant has taken the necessary steps. He has learned his lesson.”

Passing sentence Judge Derwen Hope said he hoped the case would be “a salutary lesson”

to anyone who takes “a cavalier attitude” to fire safety.