Horror blaze hotel where three people died hadn't paid premises licence for two years

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The premises licence for a Perth hotel where three guests were killed in a horror blaze has not been paid for two years.A fatal fire tore through the New County Hotel on January 2, 2023 killing two sisters, another guest and a dog.A joint investigation by Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service into the incident is still ongoing.Perth and Kinross Council Licensing Board will meet next week to discuss the hotel's fate.The board’s convener, Cllr Peter Barrett, said: “The licence fee hasn’t been paid for the past two years and the hotel is in receivership.

The board will consider what action to take – including whether to suspend or revoke the premises licence.”Sixty firefighters and 21 ambulance crews responded after a fire broke out just after 5am.Sisters Donna Janse Van Rensburgh, 44, and Sharon McLean, 47, from Aberdeen and Keith Russell, 38, from Edinburgh all tragically died in the fire, as did Donna’s pet King Charles spaniel, Joey.It later emerged the hotel was issued with three health and safety warnings from Perth and Kinross Council a fortnight before the fatal fire struck.In July 2023, liquidators were appointed to Perth Hospitality Ltd, which operated the hotel.The hotel’s owner Rashid Hussain, 59, died in a London hospital in August 2023.

Mr Hussain owned both Edwin Hotels Ltd which owned the hotel building and Perth Hospitality Limited which ran the New County Hotel.On Wednesday, April 17 Perth and Kinross Council's Licensing Board will meet to review the premises licence for the New County Hotel.

A representative has been invited to attend the meeting.A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "The investigation into this tragic incident is ongoing and as such we would not