Directors fined £60k for turning former bishop's home into an illegal HMO

TWO company directors who turned the former Roman Catholic Bishop of Newcastle's home into an illegal House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) have been fined £60,000.

- DAVID HUNTLEY

A total of 21 people, mainly care workers including two children, were sharing 14 bedrooms and one kitchen at the property.

Environmental health officers from Newcastle City Council discovered the 17th century building had no fire detection system or emergency lighting, and all bedrooms were inner rooms meaning the only means of escape would have been through high-risk rooms.

The windows gave no means of escape and exposed wires in a fuse box in the dining room could have started a fire or caused electrocution.

Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard that the fire safety risk was immediate and in the event of a fire there would have been a significantly high probability of serious injuries and multiple deaths.

Fire officers served a prohibition notice on the building ordering it to be shut down immediately forcing the occupants to leave.