Hotel owner sentenced for fire safety offences

The owner of the Brandon House Hotel was sentenced at Norwich Magistrates’ Court today, 27th February 2026, for a series of serious fire safety breaches.

Andrew Rose, a Brandon resident, was fined £27,000 and ordered to pay £6,858.99 in costs, totalling £33,858.99.

The case began when Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) Protection Team carried out a visit to the hotel on 17th April 2024 during refurbishment works and found that paying guests were being accommodated overnight. This was despite an earlier fire risk assessment stating that no one should sleep on the premises until the works were completed.

As a result of the unsafe conditions and the failure to follow fire safety guidance, protection officers issued a Prohibition Notice preventing anyone from sleeping at the premises, and an Enforcement Notice requiring several deficiencies to be addressed.

The breaches he was sentenced for were:

• A fire alarm system displaying faults and not in working order
• An obstructed fire exit
• Breaches in fire-resistant construction affecting protected escape routes
• Inadequate fire safety signage
• An inadequate fire evacuation plan

At an earlier hearing on 11th August last year at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court, Mr Rose pleaded guilty to all five offences. Sentencing had originally been scheduled for 7th November 2025 but was postponed to today’s hearing.

Allie O’Neill, Area Manager for Protection and Prevention at SFRS, said: “Fire safety laws exist to protect lives. By ignoring professional advice and allowing guests to stay in a building with such serious safety failings, Mr Rose put their safety at significant risk.

“We will always take enforcement action where necessary to keep people safe.”

Jon Lacey, Chief Fire Officer at SFRS, added: “This case underlines why fire safety regulations must be taken seriously and enforced robustly when ignored.

“I commend the Protection Team for their persistence, professionalism, and swift action in protecting the public from potential harm.”

Both the Prohibition and Enforcement Notices have now been complied with.