March 29, 2024

FirstPort fined £360,000 over fatal fire at Gibson Court

The property management company FirstPort was fined £360,000 today over the fatal fire at Gibson Court on September 30 2011. More here The full sentence is not available at this time. The following statement has been provided to Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation / LKP by FirstPort chief executive Nigel Howell. “We are sincerely sorry […]

Man, 90, dies in fire at Homepine House

A 90-year-old resident of Homepine House died in a fire at Homepine House, in Folkestone, on Saturday night. Emergency services were called after a fire broke out on the fifth floor in the bedroom of the resident, who has not been named. The website Kent Online reported the fire here and quoted police saying: “A […]

‘Curtains for exit and sublet fees’ by Law Commission … but not until March 2017

Leasehold exit and sublet fees have been referred to the Law Commission, which will almost certainly be the end of them. This means anyone selling or renting out a retirement or non-retirement flat should keep all documentation with a view to making a claim in two and half years time.

Gibson Court death was ‘tragic accident’, but coroner criticises safety procedures

  The death of Irene Cockerton, 87, in the fire at Gibson Court was a “tragic accident”, the coroner ruled last Friday. Irene was the only resident who did not reach safety after fire swept through the retirement leasehold site on September 30 2011. Her body was found by rescue workers the next day in […]

Inquest over fatal fire at Gibson Court reported by media

Two and a half years after her death the inquest is finally taking place into the death of Irene Cockerton, 87, in the fire at Gibson Court, in Surrey. Local media are reporting the inquest, which will conclude at the end of the week. A verdict will take several weeks. Mrs Cockerton died of smoke inhalation […]

Bottomley: ‘possible criminal behaviour involving Peverel’ over tendering scams

Articles in The Times in 2009 also show Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation had publicly raised the issue of Cirrus’s tendering scams before Peverel turned itself in   Sir Peter Bottomley has waded into the Peverel price-fixing scandal by publicly doubting whether the company had “confessed” to the Office of Fair Trading before being alerted […]