Shepton Mallet B&B firm fined over fire safety failures

By Laura Linham 20th Jul 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 20th Jul 2026

A company running a guest house near Shepton Mallet has been fined after admitting fire safety failures. Prestleigh Inn B&B Limited appeared before Taunton Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 16 July 2026, in a case brought by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

The company was fined £26,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and full costs of £5,700. The prosecution followed an investigation into a five-bedroom guest house after a guest raised concerns about fire safety.

Fire safety inspectors visited the premises in May 2025 and found a range of defects. These included no fire risk assessment, a fire alarm system that was not working and showed nine faults, and no regular maintenance of the fire alarm system, emergency lighting or firefighting equipment.

Inspectors also found that several fire doors, which are essential for preventing the spread of fire and smoke, were defective. The deficiencies were serious enough for inspectors to serve two legal notices prohibiting sleeping on the premises until remedial work had been carried out.

Prestleigh Inn B&B Limited pleaded guilty to four offences under the Fire Safety Order 2005. These were failure to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to ensure the premises had working fire detectors and alarms, failure to ensure there was an adequate means of escape because of defective fire doors and emergency lighting, and failure to ensure fire precautions were properly maintained and repaired.

The company was fined £16,000 for the Article 9 offence relating to the fire risk assessment and £10,000 for the Article 13 offence relating to working fire detectors and alarms. No separate penalty was imposed for the other two offences.

Fire Safety Manager Darren Bridges, whose team investigated the offences, said: "I hope this case serves as a reminder to anyone managing guest accommodation to take fire safety seriously. Failure to do so, not only endangers occupants but can result in prosecution.

"I cannot emphasise enough the importance of carrying out a fire risk assessment and having appropriate fire safety measures in place."

Counsel for the company, Jack Barry, said the company accepted that its lack of knowledge was not a defence. Since the offences came to light, the company director has undertaken an Institution of Occupational Safety and Health risk management course and is confident the company will not appear in court again.