Portelet Manor Limited has been fined £70,000 following significant fire safety failings identified after the death of a vulnerable resident at Portelet Manor Care Home in Boscombe, Dorset, in June 2023. 

The company was sentenced at Poole Magistrates’ Court on 31 March, having entered a guilty plea to charges brought by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. 

The offence was committed under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, where failures were found to have placed relevant persons at risk of death or serious injury. In particular, the company was in breach of Article 11 of the Order, having failed to implement and maintain appropriate fire safety management arrangements. 

In addition to the financial penalty, the court ordered Portelet Manor Limited to pay £22,000 in costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge. 

Background to the case

The incident occurred on 19 June 2023, when a resident using the designated smoking area sustained serious burns. The individual was taken to hospital but sadly died 11 days later. 

Although the Fire and Rescue Service did not attend the incident at the time, it was subsequently notified and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire safety management at the premises. 

Thoughts from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

Tom Huntley, fire safety prosecution manager for the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, stated: “First and foremost, the thoughts of us all at Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service remain with the loved ones, friends and family of the person who tragically lost their life. Public safety is our highest priority. Poole Magistrates’ Court’s finding should serve as a clear message to everyone in Dorset and Wiltshire about the importance of fire safety.” 

Huntley added: “We are fully committed to supporting businesses and ‘Responsible Persons’ to ensure the safety of members of the public. However, where there’s a failure to comply with legal requirements, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service will pursue prosecution action where it’s appropriate and in the public interest to do so. This case highlights the very serious consequences of failures in fire safety management.”