Carbon monoxide leak may cost restaurant its licence

An East Sussex restaurant could lose its licence after a gas leak which saw 16 people from a nearby block of flats treated for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

Hastings Borough Council (HBC) is set to consider a review application for the Grand Pera restaurant in Harold Place, Hastings, on 9 September as officers claim they have "no confidence" in the owner's ability to manage the premises.

Environmental health officer Sharon White said the leak in December was identified as coming from "a petrol generator located in a corridor" of the restaurant and "had the potential to result in fatalities".

Mustafa Ergun, licence holder for Grand Pera, said they had "improved our procedures, staff training and record keeping" to make the premises safer.

In a submission calling for the licence to be revoked, White said: "The act of operating a petrol generator indoors, particularly within an enclosed corridor, is an inherently dangerous practice.

"The event caused real harm, required a multi-agency emergency response, and had the potential to result in fatalities."

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said at the time residents were evacuated after "high levels of CO came from a diesel generator at a commercial premises" affected surrounding flats.

The council said that during a visit from officers, Ergun said the generator had been "there to maintain power to the fridges when the mains power had been cut due to an unpaid electricity account".

Ergun told the BBC that upon taking over the business a notice showing an outstanding balance of approximately £66,000 was issued, but not to his address.

He described this as a "substantial historic balance" which was not the responsibility of his business.

He refutes any claim that Grand Pera failed to pay an electricity bill.

Another alleged breach is linked to serving alcohol to customers sitting outside, which is not included in the restaurant's licence, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Officers said they had raised this matter with Ergun on several occasions, including in a final written warning in May.

Senior licensing officer Kirstie Rolfe said HBC had "no confidence in Mr Ergun's ability to manage the premises or adhere to the conditions of the premises licence".

Ergun added: "We accept responsibility where we have made mistakes.

"Where concerns or shortcomings have subsequently been identified, we have worked hard to address them.

"We have improved our procedures, staff training and record keeping and have taken steps to make the premises safer and better managed.

"We have tried to cooperate with the relevant authorities and to learn from the problems that occurred."

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