Business claims fire service demands forcing them out of town

Samantha Strudwick and Jason Gibbons say unreasonable fire-safety demands are the final issue to cause them to shut their office.

The couple have run SDS Consulting Group Ltd from London Road for the past nine years. The company has four subsidiaries such as Regis Recruitment and has a total annual turnover of 800,000. It has 120 workers on its books and serves a variety of clients in this country and abroad.

But Mr Gibbons, SDS's operations director, said they would soon be closing the premises. "We have had ongoing problems with the fire service and we have had enough. We have made the decision to leave," he said.

The couple's complaint against the fire service stems from a visit by a fire officer to their premises last September. This resulted in an enforcement notice being issued against them in relation to fire-safety measures for their offices.

As a result of this, the couple closed a small call centre which formed part of their business and reduced their workforce from 13 to four. Mr Gibbons claimed this helped to meet the requirements.

He and his wife had fire-safety consultants to ensure the rest of the required work was carried out.

But a further visit by the fire service, in late March, saw them told 'unsatisfactory progress' was being made.

This warned the couple they could be taken to court for failing to make the premises safer.

The further actions required included the installation of emergency lighting, adequate fire detection and the compilation of an emergency plan. An escape route for the flats upstairs was also required.

Mr Gibbons said the flats were the responsibility of the landlord because he and his wife rented only the ground-floor premises.

"The fire service are moving the goalposts. We did everything they asked us to and yet they are still not satisfied," he complained.

A West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "At our last meeting with the owners of Regis Recruitment, they seemed happy with the work we were suggesting.

"We are keen to work with businesses to secure the safety of the public in buildings. We don't go round picking on them or harassing them in any way.

"But our prime concern has to be the safety of people and we have to ensure the risk to them is reduced as much as possible."