A CREWE care home has been fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £9,000 in costs after pleading guilty to serious breaches of fire safety regulations.

Four Seasons (No 9) Ltd is part of Four Seasons Health Care Group and pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at its Cypress Court Care Home premises in Broad Street.

The care home group was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, July 10, after a fire safety audit was completed on the premises on March 7, 2016, following a complaint from a relative of a resident who had concerns.

Deficiencies related to compartmentation, means of fire detection and warning, means of escape, and evacuation procedures were found, putting the lives of people at risk of death or serious injury.

District Judge Shaw said: “Happily there was not a fire in this case but risk of harm was high.”

The judge stated that it was obvious that there were issues with the fire safety precautions but did note that the company had remedied the breaches following an enforcement notice.

Mark Abram, fire protection manager at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The safety of people living, visiting and working in all premises such as this is of paramount importance.

“Establishments where people sleep and may need assistance to get out in the event of a fire are especially significant and fire safety must be treated as a priority.”

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service urges all businesses to take their fire safety obligations seriously to avoid prosecution.

Anyone who has concerns about fire safety should contact Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service on 01606 868700. More information can be found on the website cheshirefire.gov.uk