Riverstone-Abbey Estate Agents and its director were fined £20,000 at Brighton Magistrates' Court after failing to give fire inspectors documents they required.
An estate agent and his company have been fined a combined £20,000 at Brighton Magistrates’ Court for failing to hand fire safety inspectors the documents and information they had lawfully required, after a fire in which three people suffered smoke inhalation.
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS), acting for East Sussex Fire Authority, announced the result on 19 October. It prosecuted Gareth Reed and his company, Riverstone-Abbey Estate Agents Limited, for offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
At the hearing on 12 October 2026, according to the service:
- Mr Reed was fined £12,500 and ordered to pay a £2,000 statutory victim surcharge.
- Riverstone-Abbey Estate Agents Limited was fined £7,500.
- Mr Reed was ordered to pay £2,525.31 to ESFRS towards the costs of the investigation.
The fire that started it
The case goes back to a fire on 15 May 2025 at a property in Hughenden Road, Hastings, which Mr Reed and his company were then managing. ESFRS says residents became trapped inside as smoke filled the common areas and blocked their way out. Three people suffered smoke inhalation.
Fire safety inspecting officers went to the building afterwards. The service lists what they found:
- a fire detector that did not appear to be secured in its intended position on the kitchen ceiling;
- doors that were not fire-resisting and had no self-closing devices;
- no evidence that residents had been told what to do if there was a fire.
Why the prosecution was about paperwork
The charges did not turn on the fire itself. Article 27 of the Fire Safety Order lets authorised inspectors enter premises, make enquiries and require documents, so they can judge whether a building is being run safely. The court heard that Mr Reed, the company’s sole director, failed without reasonable excuse to provide the documents and information inspectors required, ESFRS said.
Station Manager (Legal and Enforcement) Jake Kaye said: “Effective fire safety management is essential to reduce the likelihood of fire and to ensure that, should a fire occur, it can be detected quickly and occupants can escape safely.
“This case also highlights the importance of responding to official correspondence. Ignoring a letter or failing to respond to a lawful request for information is not a way to avoid scrutiny; it can lead to further enforcement action and prosecution.
“We hope this prosecution and the penalties imposed by the court serve as a clear reminder that fire safety responsibilities must be taken seriously, and that lawful requests from authorised inspectors must be dealt with promptly.”
George O’Reilly, the service’s Assistant Director of Risk Reduction, said: “Official correspondence from ESFRS must not be ignored. We will always seek to work constructively with businesses and Responsible Persons to help them understand and meet their fire safety responsibilities. However, this does not remove the obligation to cooperate with authorised inspectors and comply with lawful requirements made during an investigation.
“ESFRS has a statutory duty to enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and we take that responsibility seriously. Where failures to comply with fire safety legislation occur, we will consider proportionate enforcement action. This prosecution demonstrates that we will use the powers available to us where necessary to uphold fire safety standards and protect the public.”
What it means for you
If you own, let or manage a building with shared areas in Brighton and Hove, the law calls you, or whoever controls the premises, the Responsible Person. ESFRS says that person should:
- have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, kept under review;
- put in place and maintain proper fire safety measures;
- set up a reliable way to receive and answer official letters;
- never ignore letters, notices or requests for information from fire safety inspectors;
- answer within the deadline given, and contact the inspector straight away if something needs clarifying or more time is needed;
- make sure anyone managing fire safety knows their duties and how to pass official letters up the line.
The service’s guidance is on its workplaces, fire safety legislation and written fire safety arrangements pages, and the government sets out the duties at Workplace fire safety: your responsibilities.
Tenants who are worried about blocked escape routes, missing smoke alarms or fire doors that do not close can raise them with their landlord or managing agent first, and with ESFRS.
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