Former restaurant owner fined for fire safety breaches

THE former owner of an Indian restaurant in Watlington has been handed a suspended sentence for breaches of fire safety legislation that put lives in danger.

Khalique Choudhury, 58, who ran  the House of Spice in Couching Street, was sentenced to serve a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of £1,700, costs of £6,284 and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Choudhury, who lives in Berinsfield, pleaded guilty to four charges at Oxford Magistrates’ Court in July.

He was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday last week.

Fire safety inspectors from Oxfordshire County Council’s fire and rescue service visited Choudhury’s premises in March 2024.

They found Choudhury had failed to ensure there was an adequate fire risk assessment, failed to protect fire escape routes and failed to provide a working fire alarm and detection system.

The restaurant was operating on the ground floor and had bedrooms for staff on the first floor.

Following the investigation, inspectors prohibited the use of the building for sleeping until safety measures were improved and ordered the immediate removal of the occupants.

Jody Kerman, head of the county council’s prevention, protection and trading standards teams, said businesses have a legal duty to put fire measures in place.

She said: “Our fire safety inspectors are finding an increasing number of businesses with sleeping accommodation above, where no fire safety measures have been implemented.

“Business owners have a legal duty to put fire safety measures in place, and as this case shows, we will not hesitate to take action to ensure the safety of occupants, residents and customers.”

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, the county council’s cabinet member for community services and safety, said: “The vast majority of Oxfordshire businesses operate to the highest standards, rightly protecting their customers, staff and their livelihoods.

“I’m very grateful to the officers in this case, who are out there every day not only to protect the public but to also ensure that those businesses following the rules can compete on a level playing field.”

House of Spice is now operating under new management.