THE MOTHER of jockey Jan Wilson, who died in a fire at a block of flats in Norton in 2009, has condemned the decision to censure building inspectors over checks on the property where her daughter perished.
A “very severe reprimand” was issued by the Construction Industry Council to an approved building control company in the wake of a formal complaint raised by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority following the fire at Norton, North Yorkshire, in which Jan, 19, and another young jockey, Jamie Kyne, were killed.
The finding follows a lengthy complaint process initiated after the investigation into the blaze, which saw labourer Peter Brown jailed for manslaughter.
Jan WIlson’s mother Margaret Wilson, of Forfar, Scotland, said the finding was “hardly a slap on the wrist” for the building control inspector JHAI Ltd over the way it dealt with a submission relating to the flats.
JHAI said there had been a “procedural error” relating to the issue of a final certificate for the Buckrose Court property without consulting the fire authority.
However, the block where Jan died did comply with building regulations. The CIC said the sanction did not prevent JHAI continuing to operate as an approved inspector.
It also said the formal complaint made by the fire authority was confidential. The outcome for JHAI Ltd was a severe reprimand, published on the CIC website – a penalty heavily criticised by Mrs Wilson.
“We know two families have been devastated by what happened that night and there were all the other people who had the horror of getting out of that building. Mistakes were made and yet you have to look and look to find the judgement and there is no penalty at all,” she said.
In a response to the CIC judgement, JHAI chairman Matt Read said the lapse which led to the “dreadful and tragic” outcome had occurred under previous owners.
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