'Cheapest pub' in trouble over health and safety

A pub that was infamously branded the cheapest in Britain has landed a bill for £30,000 after a series of health and safety breaches.

The Marksman in West Bromwich gained notoriety in 2008 after selling a 45p pint to compete with a 99p offer being run at the time by Wetherspoons.

And Belal Hussain, who used to run the pub, has been fined £27,000 plus £3,000 costs after allowing food and waste to pile up in the backyard and failing to check the cellar barrel lift for safety.

The court heard how inspectors visited the pub in December 2008 and noted problems around food storage and the cellar hoist.

Improvements had not been made a month later and the matter was taken to court where Hussain, 23, admitted health and safety failings.

He was fined £4,500 for failing to comply with a food hygiene improvement notice, £4,500 for failing to provide documents demonstrating legal waste collection and £18,000 for failing to comply with a notice relating to a certificate for the lifting equipment in the cellar.

The case had prompted a trade association to warn pubs to be aware of their legal obligations around cellar equipment.

Geoff Holden, chief executive of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association, said: "This case highlights the high price that pub owners can end up paying for failing to stay on the right side of the law. Even simple items such as manual hoists and slings must be subject to regular checks.

"In the case of most cellar lifting gear, I do not imagine this will be a particularly time consuming or expensive operation. However, it must be done by a genuinely independent and competent person, and a written report of the thorough examination kept on file by the employer."

The Marksman is now run by a different company. The Publican​ was unable to contact the new owner for comment.