Owner of Midlands "death trap" hotel is jailed
A hotel owner has been jailed for one year after his "death trap" venue posed a serious risk of injury or death to guests.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how a customer complained of fire exit being blocked by a mattress, obstructions on a landing and faulty fire alarms at Manjit Takhar's Bescot Hotel in Walsall.
According to Express and Star, the 61-year-old wonder started running the hotel in 2006. It has now closed and is a care home.
The Walsall Advertiser reports that Takhar was given clear instructions to correct the safety breaches but there were still major faults a week later.
The court heard how there were smoke detectors missing from bedrooms, no staff training and a fire alarm test revealed it could not be heard in some parts of the hotel.
Takhar pleaded guilty to eight breaches of fire safety regulations.
Judge Michael Challinor said: "This hotel in any view was a death trap.
"The breaches were not deliberate but there was a reckless disregard for the safety of guests and staff."
In 2011, the owners of a hotel described as a "death trap" by a health inspector were ordered to pay around £90,000 in fines.
Officers from a local council claim they found beg bugs and mice inside Michael's Guest House in London's Kentish Town, which was described on a website as "super-clean, super-comfortable and super-affordable".
The hotel was also allegedly covered in rubbish, had dangerous wiring and a staircase propped up with a plank.
Environmental Health Officer Mike Warren said: "It was a death trap - the electrical wiring was overheating and there were no warning systems or escape routes for the residents."
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