Cheshire Fire Service bosses have dropped prosecutions against four organisations connected with the massive blaze which destroyed the Beechmere retirement village in Crewe.
The trial into alleged breaches of fire safety regulations by four companies involved in the design, risk assessment, management and maintenance of Beechmere began yesterday (May 6) at Chester Crown Court.
The Beechmere complex, which housed around 150 residents, was destroyed in a huge fire on August 8 2019.
Cheshire Fire Service brought the prosecutions under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
It followed a long investigation into the cause of the fire and the reasons why it spread so rapidly.
But today, the fire service admitted it was unlikely to secure convictions and have dropped the case.
The news will be a bitter blow to the many families impacted by the blaze.
Alex Waller, Chief Fire Officer for Cheshire, said: “Following extensive legal submissions heard over the first two days of the trial, unfortunately it became clear this morning (Wednesday 7 May) that there would be no realistic prospect of securing convictions.
“After carefully considering legal advice, regrettably we have taken the very difficult decision to withdraw our prosecution case against all four defendants.
“We understand that former residents of Beechmere and their families will be disappointed with this outcome, which is not the one we have been working hard to achieve.”
The four defendants – Avantage (Cheshire) Ltd, Your Housing Ltd, Morgan Sindall Property Services Ltd and Total Fire Group Ltd – had faced a total of 14 charges between them.
They had all pleaded not guilty.
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