A landlady who put tenants' lives in danger at two houses, converted into flats, has been fined a total of £9,000 by Liverpool magistrates.

Clare Margaret Sumner, of 1 Regents Field, Victoria Road, Formby, admitted, at a previous hearing, seven offences relating to properties which she owned at 3 and 7 Radstock Road, Kensington.

The offences were under section 16 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976; for failing to comply with three Improvement Notices relating to fire safety measures under section 11 of the Housing Act 2004; and to three failures in the management of the properties under Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Additional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2007.


She was also ordered to pay full costs to Liverpool City Council of £1940 and a victim surcharge of £15.

The prosecution arose following an inspection of the properties in July and August 2010 by an Environmental Health Officer from the former Housing Market Renewal's Health Impact Team (HMRI HIT), as part of an inspection programme funded through the Newheartlands HMR Pathfinder.

Both properties had been converted into self contained flats without any Building Control approval and serious hazards were identified including fire detection systems not in working order, flat entrance doors not to the required fire resistance and which lacked thumb turn locks and self closing devices, lack of handrails to staircases, lack of Gas and Electrical Safety certificates.

The court heard that council made a number of attempts to bring these matters to the attention of Mrs. Sumner, but no communication was ever received from her.

(CD)