BUSINESS owners have been urged to check they have adequate fire safety precautions in place after a Crewe pizza takeaway owner was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Abdul Rajab admitted 10 breaches of fire regulations at his former premises in Victoria Street after a fire broke out in the kitchen and spread to the living accommodation on the first floor.

Chester Crown Court heard last Friday (September 17) that the occupants of the premises were "fortunate not to have died or suffered serious injury" in the blaze on Saturday, March 23, 2019.

Rajab, 33, of Lower Breck Road, Liverpool was handed a 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months because the judge accepted the defendant had been ignorant of the fire safety laws rather than having shown a "wilful blindness" to them.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service says all businesses should review their fire risk assessment on a regular basis. Among the multiple breaches committed by Rajab (and his company Shark Crewe Ltd, for whom he also admitted similar breaches) was a failure to make a suitable fire risk assessment.

He also failed to provide adequate smoke detectors and alarms on the premises and failed to maintain adequate fire separation between the ground floor and first floor.

Lee Shears, head of the county fire service's protection department said: "We encourage all business owners to review their fire risk assessments on a regular basis and ensure adequate fire safety precautions are in place.

"Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service aims to help and support any business to operate safely and to be safe from fire.

"However, action will be taken when companies choose not to treat fire safety as a legitimate and important business requirement.

"All companies are urged to take their fire safety obligations seriously to avoid prosecution."

The premises included the Mr Pizza takeaway business on the ground floor and four bedsits in multiple occupation on the first floor. But the fire officers also discovered people were sleeping on the ground floor, in the commercial restaurant part of the premises.

The investigation found there was no adequate fire door between the living accommodation and first floor escape route and the downstairs kitchen.

It concluded there was insufficient means of escape from the premises.

Jim Bransom, watch manager of the fire service's protection department, said: "It was clear from the outset of our investigation that the owner had shown no regard for fire safety regulations and as a result he was putting the lives of customers and staff at risk.

"This included the absence of even the very basic fire protection tools, such as working fire detectors and alarms.

"Despite the ground floor being classed as commercial, this was also being used as living accommodation, with no means of escape in the event of fire.

"I hope the sentencing will act as a warning to any other businesses that do not consider fire safety to be a priority."

Anyone who has concerns about fire safety should contact Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service. More information can be found on the business safety section of the service's website, www.cheshirefire.gov.uk .