A prominent shop located in Hereford’s city centre has once again been prohibited from allowing anyone to sleep within its premises due to ongoing fire safety issues.
Fone Zone, operated by Sohail Akhtar and situated on the High Street adjacent to High Town and next to Marks & Spencer, was first served with a prohibition notice last August. This notice barred any “sleeping or resting in the basement, on the ground, first or second floors” of the three-storey building.
On March 5, a similar prohibition notice was issued to iSmart Retail, a company with Mr. Akhtar as the sole director, reinforcing the ban.
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The prohibition notice highlights critical safety shortcomings, stating, “There is insufficient means of detecting a fire and giving warning to those sleeping or resting on upper or lower floors.” Additionally, it points out that “the means of escape from the upper floors is not suitably fire resisting,” posing significant risks to anyone staying overnight.
A spokesperson from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the prohibition remains actively enforced.
Mr. Akhtar, currently abroad, indicated he intends to discuss the matter with fire officers upon his return later this month.
Notably, in January 2023, approval was granted to convert the building’s previously unused upper floors into two compact one-bedroom flats accessible via East Street at the rear, though fire safety concerns have delayed their use as residential units.