England | Pub company fined after woman dies from fall

July 4, 2025

Harborough District Council | A pub company has been fined £240,000 following the death of a woman who visited one of its pubs on 14 May 2023.

Julie Hyatt, 57, died from her injuries in hospital on 26 May 2023, after falling down some stairs at The Langton Arms in Church Langton.

Mrs Hyatt fell into a basement cellar through a door which should have been locked.

Harborough District Council has successfully prosecuted Redcat Retail Pubs Ltd, the pub company which owns The Langton Arms, for failing to comply with health and safety legislation.

After an extensive investigation the council concluded that the business had not assessed the risk to the health and safety of its employees or members of the public. There was no risk assessment in place to cover the access into the basement cellar.

Redcat Retail Pubs Ltd pleaded guilty to one count of breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and were ordered to pay £240,000, with a victim surcharge of £2,000 and £43,633.06 in legal costs.

The council has a duty to ensure that licensed premises comply with statutory requirements and can take appropriate enforcement action if required.

Investigating, the HSE found that Aryn Stones Ltd had failed to ensure the structure did not collapse while it was in a state of temporary weakness. The company also failed to put any measures in place to manage the temporary remedial work being carried out on the steel connections. They also failed to take all practicable steps to prevent danger to any person while the building was in a temporary state of weakness.

Aryn Stones Ltd, of Percy Road, London were found guilty of breaching Regulation 19(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £39,000 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Lucy Ellison-Dunn said: “Although two men were seriously injured, it was lucky nobody was killed.

Cat Hartley, Director of Communities and Wellbeing at Harborough District Council, said: “Firstly, we offer our sincere condolences to Mr Hyatt and all of Mrs Hyatt’s family and friends.

“This was a serious breach of health and safety, which regrettably resulted in Mrs Hyatt losing her life. We have worked tirelessly on this investigation to ensure justice for the family.

“All businesses have a legal duty to their customers to ensure the conditions in their premises meet rigorous safety standards. We hope this prosecution sends out a strong message that businesses which fall significantly short of this standard will be brought before the courts.

“Residents and visitors to Harborough district should expect to be safe when they are enjoying any of our licensed hospitality premises.”

— Accurate at time of publication | June 2025

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