Safety fears at death blaze hostel (From Free Press Series)

Safety fears at death blaze hostel

ANGER and safety fears surround the hostel where a man died in a fire last week. Tenants were sent back to The Moors hostel in Station Road, Rogiet, on Friday.

But they say the building is not safe and their lives are being put at risk.

They say fire alarms were not connected to the fire service switchboard when the blaze broke out in a flat on Tuesday - and firefighters arrived at the scene only because residents called them from mobile phones.

Now they claim Monmouthshire council sent them back too soon.

Cabinet member for Housing Jim Higginson said he was "surprised" residents had returned to The Moors.

The man who died has not yet been identified by police, who are still investigating the fire, but 36-year-old tenant Sean Barrett is missing and presumed dead.

Moors resident Aaron said his fire bell was not working. He said: Although we have been assured the fire system is working, the actual bells in two flats don't work.

"The council has offered to move us out until they are fixed but we've been here two nights without them working, so what's another night?"

Jane Baynton and her family say fire and smoke alarms and sprinklers still don't work.

Mrs Baynton, 39, said: "We've been moved back here too early, the building is still unsafe and doors leading to the fire exit are locked because the police are still investigating that part of the building."

Mrs Baynton's 17-year-old daughter Phillippa said: "Our fire and smoke alarms still don't work and the man from the council's safety system contractor told us on Friday that the box connecting our fire alarms to the fire service was found unplugged after the fire. Only the warden and the council have access to that box."

South Wales Fire Service confirmed that they were not alerted to Tuesday's fire through the alarm system - but by three mobile phone calls.

Miss Baynton said: "After someone died in a fire you'd think they would ensure the building was safe before we came back. They're putting our lives at risk."