Tesco has been slapped with fines and costs totalling more than £100,000 after admitting to serious breaches of fire safety guidelines at a north London store.

London Fire Brigade prosecuted Tesco over breaches of safety regulations at its Colney Hatch store in Barnet during an inspection in 2007.

Tesco pleaded guilty to the charges, which included failing to carry out a fire risk assessment and failing to ensure escape routes were kept clear. The supermarket was fined £95,000 and ordered to pay costs of almost £25,000.

“Fire safety is a key part of good business management and the general public should feel safe from fire when they are out shopping,” said London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson.

“London Fire Brigade will continue to take action when businesses, large or small, do not take their fire safety responsibilities seriously. Failure to comply with the law can, as this case has shown, result in a prosecution."

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