A landlord in Reading has been handed a huge fine for serious breaches of fire safety regulations. 

Philip Brotherton’s company Cresctcourt Properties was fined £177,000 after he pleaded guilty to four charges under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Brotherton appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court on August 24. According to a report in the Reading Chronicle, the prosecution was brought after fire safety officers found a number of serious issues in one of Brotherton’s HMO properties in Reading.

The failings included smoke alarms not working, a lack of fire doors and an external escape route in a poor state of repair.

“We hope that the significant level of this fine will send a clear message to all property owners that they have a duty to keep our communities safe and if they put anyone at risk by breaking the law, we won’t hesitate to prosecute,” said Simon Jefferies, assistant chief fire officer for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.