Owners of a hotel where a child died after suffering an electric shock in the lobby have been fined £120,000 over health and safety offences.
Blackpool Council successfully brought charges against Y7 Hotels Ltd, owner of the Tiffany’s Hotel on the Promenade, following the incident in September 2023.
Jack Piper-Sheach, 10, suffered an electric shock in the reception area of the hotel and died in hospital four days later. He and his family had been visiting Blackpool from Lincolnshire.Investigations were launched by Lancashire Police and Blackpool Council. Lancashire Police found no criminal case to answer relating to the death. Blackpool Council later brought charges against Y7 Hotels Ltd for offences contrary to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.None of the charges related to the death of the child.
Representatives of the business attended Preston Crown Court on Wednesday 15 April 2026 and entered a guilty plea to two offences, in relation to the Tiffany’s Hotel, Blackpool. At a sentencing hearing on Friday 26 June, Y7 Hotels Ltd was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £24,000 costs to Blackpool Council.
Blackpool Council launched an investigation into the hotel in late 2023. Inspectors found that while the company behind the hotel had undertaken electrical inspections as required by law, essential remedial works to correct dangerous electrical installations were not undertaken by a competent, qualified electrician, nor were any works documented or certified.
An electrical installation condition report (EICR) from 2020 had documented issues of concern that posed a danger to guests and employees of the hotel.
While inspectors could see that remedial works had been undertaken for one of the urgent dangers, no documents or certificates could be produced to clarify when or by whom the works were completed. Additionally, there was no documentation in place to evidence that any of the immediate works had been carried out by a competent, qualified electrician.
Following this stage of the council’s investigation, the director of Tiffany’s Hotel agreed to voluntarily cease trading.
Blackpool Council then liaised with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which sent in two specialist inspectors to further assess the electrical installation. They found three more, separate dangerous areas within the hotel. Their report concluded that the electrical installation was not maintained in a satisfactory condition, putting employees and guests at risk of fatal injuries.
An Improvement Notice was served and in November 2023, a satisfactory EICR was provided. Council officers carried out a follow-up inspection to ensure specified works had been undertaken and the hotel was later permitted to reopen.