Fire Safety

The breaches found were so severe that the outlet in Portsmouth was evacuated immediately until they were fixed, said a spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue service.

Investigators visiting the property in November 2008 found that there had been a failure to provide adequate training to a temporary store manager and that fire exits were not kept clear of storage.

The case was finally heard at Portsmouth Magistrates Court after taking two years to complete due to “interviews and discussions” taking place with the store manager and the responsible person, the spokesman said.

“This was a complex one as we had to deal with the individual store manager and his solicitor as well as the responsible person,” they said.

There were four breaches of Fire Safety Order made in total, each costing the firm £3,250 plus costs of around £7,000.