Garden Centre Fined For Failing To Comply With Fire Safety Regulations

The owners of a garden centre in Sigglesthorne which was found to be selling items which posed a serious fire risk to customers have been fined £18,000 by magistrates.

Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centre Ltd, who are based in Lincolnshire and own Hornsea Garden Centre, appeared at Beverley Magistrates Court on Wednesday, 6 September where they pleaded guilty to nine offences of offering for sale furniture and cushions that did not comply with fire safety regulations.

Suppliers of the items, Mosley Trading Co Ltd, who are based in Coventry, also appeared in court where they admitted to eight charges of supplying items that did not comply with fire safety regulations, and Orchid Designs Ltd based in Huddersfield, who pleaded to two charges of the same offence.

Magistrates heard how an extensive investigation had been carried out by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s trading standards team following a visit by an officer to Hornsea Garden Centre on 15 December last year.

A large display of cushions and upholstered furniture was found not to have the appropriate fire safety labelling and concerns were raised with the area manager of Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centre Ltd, who claimed he could provide correspondence from the suppliers that the items did meet the correct fire safety regulations.

It was established that Orchid Design Ltd were the supplier of the unlabelled cushions whilst the supplier of the furniture was Mosley Trading Company Ltd but there was nothing in the correspondence received by trading standards to confirm the items for sale were safe.

Officers returned to the garden centre, which had previously received advice from trading standards relating to cushions, on 22 December and seized a grey upholstered dining chair, leather dining chair, two large cushions and two small cushions.

These were sent for independent inspection and flammability testing where they failed to meet the essential safety requirements to meet the regulations.

Phillippa Stubbs, company secretary at Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centres Ltd, admitted the company did not have procedures in place to check the labelling of products before the items were put on sale.

Michael Robinson, a director of Orchid Designs, who said the company supplies cushions and products to stately homes and the Queen, told officers “he put a lot of faith in his Chinese suppliers” and added that he’s “misread the guidance and assumed that because polypropylene wasn’t mentioned that it didn’t need testing”.

He also admitted that no testing was carried out on the cushions prior to the cushions going on sale.

Jane Mosley, a director of Mosley Trading Company Ltd, also admitted no physical checks were carried out on upholstered furniture and they had relied solely on factory supplied test reports.
Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centre Ltd was fined £2,000 for each offence making a total of £18,000 and has to pay costs of £3,782.

Mosley Trading Company Ltd was also find £2,000 for each offence making a total of £16,000 and has to pay costs of £3,615.54.

Orchid Design Ltd was fined £1,250 for each offence making a total of £2,500 and has to pay costs of £3,325.76.

Colin Briggs, trading standards manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “These chairs and cushions were very dangerous and posed a serious fire risk to those who had bought them.

“The companies involved in this case were all experienced traders who failed in their obligations in relation to the safety regulations when simple physical checks would have revealed the inadequate labelling of the products.

“I would urge anyone buying items such as cushions and soft furnishings to ensure they have the correct safety labels attach so they know the items they are taking into their homes are safe.”