Ex-mayor Of Nottingham Sentenced For Fire Safety Breaches

A businessman and former mayor of Nottingham, Mohammed Munir, was sentenced in early January 2012 to 26 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to undertake 180 hours of unpaid work and to pay £4,000 in costs by Nottingham Crown Court, after pleading guilty to a number of fire safety breaches at his factory premises in the city, Trent Valley Trading.

Following the concerns of operational fire crews, officers from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service visited the premises and issued an enforcement notice. After visits to assess progress and advise on achieving a satisfactory fire safety standard, officers allowed Mr Munir extra time to comply with the notice. He was prosecuted when it became apparent that he had ignored the deadline and continued to trade without ensuring that his premises were safe.

Sentencing Mr Munir, the judge said he had put the needs of the business before employee safety, adding that many of the measures would have been inexpensive. He had been minded to impose a nine-month sentence but, in light of particular mitigation, he reduced and suspended it. Mr Munir’s defence had conceded that the offences would justify a custodial sentence.

Neil Williamson, Nottinghamshire’s fire protection station manager, said: ‘The absence of a fire risk assessment is a particularly bad aspect of this case, especially after numerous reminders.’