A SPORTS fashion retailer has been fined £60,000 for breaching fire safety regulations at its former store at intu Merry Hill.

JD Sports Fashion PLC pleaded guilty to six breaches during a hearing at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court after fire escapes and exits at the store were found to be blocked with clothes rails and crates.

The breaches came to light when West Midlands Fire Service carried out a routine pre-Christmas inspection on December 1, 2015.

Fire inspectors had told the store manager that the obstructions should be removed immediately and said they would return in an hour to ensure the instructions had been followed.

Mark Jackson, prosecuting, said: "When the officers returned, the obstructions had been removed.

"Before leaving, the officers made it clear that a further, unannounced inspection visit would take place and that if further breaches were identified, enforcement action would be considered."

However, when the second inspection took place 13 days later, on December 14, 2015, officers once again found the escape routes and exits blocked by display equipment and stock.

Mr Jackson told the court that the company had carried out an internal fire risk assessment in May 2014, which had highlighted the issue and advised that daily checks should take place to ensure the areas were kept clear.

He added: "It was plain that the company had been on notice of the problem at least 18 months prior to the December 2015 inspections."

Eleanor Sanderson, defending, said the company had expressed "sincere regret" and took full responsibility for its actions.

She said the breaches arose due to difficulties in managing "an unprecedented volume" of stock in the lead up to the festive period.

Miss Sanderson said at the time of the inspection, all other fire detection and prevention systems - including alarms and sprinklers - were working and the company since moved to a bigger shop within the Brierley Hill shopping centre after realising it needed more space.

She told the court that the company had also put a number of procedures in place to ensure this did not happen again.

District Judge Michael Wheeler fined the company £60,000 for the six breaches and ordered it to pay court costs of £7,463.52 and a £170 victim surcharge.

The judge said he recognised that the company had immediately taken steps to address the issues, adding: “Hopefully this problem will not occur again.

"It can't be said that this is a company that sacrifices safety for profit as this company has taken this prosecution seriously."