A man has been hit with a suspended jail sentence and 150 hours of community service, as well as being ordered to pay out thousands of pounds, after firefighters found an East Dulwich building he owned broke several fire safety rules.
The London Fire Brigade said a fire safety inspection said a building with shops on the ground floor and flats above on Lordship Lane had no fire detection method, poor fitting fire doors, an obstructed means of escape and an electronic shutter blocking the final exit that was kept locked through the night.
Owner Sudath Ratnayake pleaded guilty to six charges and was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for twelve months, ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid community work and ordered to pay £3,600 towards prosecution costs. The case was brought by LFB.
If you are a responsible person, landlord, business or building owner, you can find out more about the rules about fire safety for buildings here.