The director of an estate agency and his company have been fined at Brighton Magistrates’ Court for failing to give fire safety inspectors documents and information, following a fire at a property in Hughenden Road, Hastings. East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) announced the prosecution on 19 October 2026.
Court. Brighton Magistrates’ Court, 12 October 2026.
Defendants. Gareth Reed, sole director, and Riverstone-Abbey Estate Agents Limited.
Fines. Reed was fined £12,500 and the company £7,500.
Other payments. Reed must also pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and £2,525.31 towards the fire service’s investigation costs, which is £17,025.31 for Reed in total, or £24,525.31 with the company’s fine.
The law. The case was brought under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
The fire in Hughenden Road
The prosecution follows a fire in Hughenden Road on 15 May 2025. ESFRS says Reed and his company were managing the property at the time. According to the fire service, smoke filled the shared areas and blocked escape routes, trapping residents. Three people were hurt by smoke inhalation.
What inspectors found
ESFRS says its inspectors found problems after the fire.
Smoke detection. A fire detector on a kitchen ceiling did not appear to be secured in its intended position.
Doors. Doors were not fire-resisting and had no self-closing devices.
Information for residents. There was no evidence that residents had been told what to do in a fire.
Why the fine
The offence was not the fire itself. Article 27 of the Fire Safety Order lets inspectors enter premises, make enquiries and require people to provide documents and information. ESFRS says Reed failed, without reasonable excuse, to provide what inspectors required. The fire service’s update does not say what pleas were entered.
Jake Kaye, Station Manager for Legal and Enforcement at ESFRS, says: “Ignoring a letter or failing to respond to a lawful request for information is not a way to avoid scrutiny”.
“Official correspondence from ESFRS must not be ignored.”
George O’Reilly, ESFRS Assistant Director of Risk Reduction
O’Reilly adds that ESFRS will always seek to work constructively with businesses and responsible persons, and that it has a statutory duty to enforce the Order.
What responsible people have to do
Under the Order, the person responsible for a building has to manage fire risk. The fire service points owners and managers to its guidance on fire risk assessments and fire safety legislation, and to the government’s workplace fire safety responsibilities. Kaye says effective fire safety management is essential to reduce the likelihood of fire.
ESFRS covers Brighton & Hove as well as East Sussex. We have also reported on the York Place fire in Brighton and on council funding for fire safety in Brighton & Hove homes.
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