SMOKE alarms and fire doors do not have to be installed in existing council houses and flats, claim officials.

Concerns were raised by Sarratt Parish Councillor Michael Warner after an incident in the village which could have had tragic consequences.

Elderly residents of council-owned flats in Alexandra Road, Sarratt, raised the alarm after smoke was seen billowing from an upstairs flat on the evening of Saturday, July 25.

The resident of the flat, who does not wish to be identified, had left a pan unattended on the stove and was unaware that she was in any danger.

Fire engines from Rickmansworth and Bovingdon attended the scene and extinguished the fire in a matter of minutes.

However, as smoke alarms had not been fitted in the building the damage could have been more severe and lives could easily have been lost.

Councillor Warner, addressing a meeting of Sarratt Parish Council on Monday, August 10, said: "I have approached the council to ask why there are no smoke alarms in these old people's flats, I am very concerned."

Another resident explained that her husband had fitted a battery operated fire alarm in their flat because of the threat of fire.

Despite incidents such as this occuring in residences occupied by elderly people, the council does not have to take any action.

Mr Ian Harris, housing officer at Three Rivers District Council said: "The council is under no obligation to install smoke alarms or fire doors to existing council properties.

"But if a door has to be changed in a property, a fire door will be fitted."

Under Government guidelines, council properties built after June 1 1992 must be fitted with smoke alarms but all residences built prior to this date will only be improved on an ad hoc basis by the council.

In addition, any planning application made prior to that date would not be affected, this means that residences built as late as 1996 could be legally built without smoke alarms being fitted.

Mr Harris also said: "We will only install hardwired smoke alarms because if we install battery operated ones no one looks after them and the council may become liable.

"The council's current policy is to install smoke alarms only when we rewire a building and this is more than we are required to do by law.

"We are currently upgrading our warden controlled schemes, and we have recently put in fire doors, increasing protection in such flats."

Mr Howard Beresford, who is also a housing officer with Three Rivers District Council, said: "The flats in Alexandra Road are designed for the elderly but are not warden controlled. In principle we will tend to bring properties up to specification at certain stages and we have tried to target areas of urgency first."

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