A hotel in which an elderly couple were killed in a fire has been fined more than £400,000 for breaches of fire regulations.
ESB Hotels, operator of the Bolton Moat House, was sentenced yesterday at Bolton Crown Court. It was also ordered to pay £11,000 in costs.
ESB pleaded guilty in May to two offences under the Fire Precautions Act 1971.
The hotel had stored mattresses and bedding in corridors on the first and third floors, which were also fire escape routes.
Speaking on behalf of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, assistant county fire officer for fire safety John Judd said: "The hotel industry has a duty of care to provide and maintain a safe environment for their guests and staff.
"While the Fire and Rescue Service would rather work with those maintaining fire safety in a building, in such serious cases it will not hesitate to take legal action."
Margaret and William Robertson died during the blaze in April 2001 while trying to escape through the smoke-filled corridor.
The fire was started deliberately by a night porter who was later jailed for manslaughter.
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