Surrey Heath Borough Council has prosecuted Bob Potter Leisure Limited for breaching health and safety regulations.
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The prosecution relates to the Lakeside Complex in Frimley Green. The Complex consists of a country club, hotels and lodges arranged around Wharfenden Lake.
The company had failed to address hazards posed by the open water of the lake, despite receiving repeated visits, warnings and notices from environmental health officers since 2008. A fatal accident occurred in January 2010 when a guest drowned after falling through ice on the lake.
Bob Potter Leisure Limited pleaded guilty at Guildford Crown Court earlier this year in respect of two offences under health and safety legislation, being failure to protect the public against risks to health and safety and failure to carry out suitable risk assessments.
At a sentencing hearing on Monday 1 July, the company was fined £85,000 and ordered to pay the Council’s prosecution costs of £36,203.72.
The judge commented on sentencing that warnings by environmental health officers had not been heeded sufficiently and had the company put in place adequate measures to protect the public the risk of serious injury would have been reduced.
Surrey Heath’s Executive Head for Community, Tim Pashen said: “Due regard must be given to the importance in assessing risks and putting suitable measures in place to ensure they are minimised. We are committed to working with businesses and this prosecution demonstrates how seriously we take any breach of legislation. Our advice to businesses is to contact us if they are unsure about any aspect of health and safety.”
