Two care home owners have been fined more than £120,000 for not complying with fire safety regulations.

This comes via the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, which used the news to remind businesses of the consequences of not employing proper fire safety measures.

Thuraisamy Ravichandran and Radha Ravichandran, directors of Care Pro in Bexhill-on-Sea, were fined £124,455 after pleading guilty to 12 offences at Brighton Magistrates Court.

Offences included failures in risk assessment, general fire precautions, fire-fighting, fire detection and maintenance.

The judge in the case described defective fire doors and a lack of detection and alarms as reasons for the prosecution, also noting the risk to vulnerable residents.

The defendants were fined £27,500 per offence for four of the offences, with guilty charges upheld for the remaining offences but no separate penalty awarded. This resulted in a £110,000 fine, a £2,000 victim surcharge and £12,455 for times and costs.

Area manager George O’Reilly, head of fire safety for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I would like to thank the court for their time and deliberations in this matter as well as my legal team and staff for their efforts in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. ESFRS are legally required to enforce the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

“We take this responsibility seriously and we will not hesitate to take legal action against anyone responsible for placing people at risk of death or injury from fire due to their failures to meet the requirements of this legislation.”

Group protection legislation and enforcement manager Craig Williams said: “The fire service considers this one of the most serious cases we have ever prosecuted due to a number of offences found in various premises operated by the company.

“The fine handed down by the court today reflects the serious nature of the offences. Owners and those responsible for any premises where the Fire Service find fire safety contraventions are reminded of the potential consequences, including unlimited fines and potential custodial sentences.”