Ken Wall

Head of Legislative Fire Safety

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service

Tel.                  0870 6060699 ext. 2261

Tel. (Direct)      01792 776716

Mob.                07775 727658

Blackberry       07920 297260

 

FINDS: SportsWorld Stores

FOR THE ATTENTION OF FIRE SAFETY OFFICERS.

 

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

 

West Midlands Fire Authority are currently involved in legal action against Sports World International Limited, an international retailer of sportswear and sporting goods.

 

The prosecution is being taken following a fire safety inspection of one of the company’s branches in December 2006. During the inspection the officers concerned identified that a number of escape routes and exits from the store were obstructed by excess storage of stock. The obstructions were cleared before the officers left the store. Similar blockages were identified when the officers attended the following day. Fire safety officers identified similar contraventions in this store during the summer of 2006, and brought to matters to the attention of the management.

 

The legal action is being taken against two accused;

The company, as the employer, as defined by article 3.(a) of the Order, and;

The local store manager, as a person having an extent of control of the premises, as defined by article 5.(3) of the Order.

 

The manager has elected through his defence for his case to be heard in Crown Court.

 

Following a number of provisional hearings in Magistrates Court, it now seems very likely that the case for the company will also be heard in Crown Court.

 

During our investigations it has been identified that the Sports World is one of over 470 stores operating within the Sports Direct International group.

 

In order to prepare an accurate ‘Friskies Schedule’ for presentation to the Court this Fire Authority would be grateful to any other Fire Authority that can provide brief details including relevant dates of any enforcement, prohibition or prosecution actions taken against any of the group of stores below.

 

Lillywhites

Sports Direct

Sports World

Field and Trek

Hargreaves Sports

Gilesports

Streetwise Sports

Donnay international

 

Thank you in anticipation.

 

From: Rees Angharad H.Q.
Sent: 04 February 2008 11:48
To: Wall Kenneth FS/TRN H.Q.
Subject: FW: Request for transmission of FINDS message

Please see the attached FINDS message. Please reply to Paul Venables directly.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Venables
Sent: 04 February 2008 11:12
To: Claire Davidson
Cc: 'david_abel@sandwell.gov.uk'; Gary Jones
Subject: Request fior transmission of FINDS message

 

Hi Claire,

             Would you please format and transmit the attached word doc’ as a FINDS message to all brigades, for the attention of Fire Safety Officers.

 

Best Regards

 

Paul Venables.

Operations Support Department.

Fire Safety Policy Team.

0121 380 6308.

 

 

West Midlands Fire Service

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