Restaurateur will sue for gas fireball losses

An award-winning restaurateur who lost his six-month-old business after faulty gas cooking equipment exploded in a fireball is to take legal action against its suppliers.

Last week, Nils Hughes was forced to put up for sale his interest in the Kings Arms pub and Chancel restaurant in Monkton Farleigh, near Bradford-on-Avon, after his cash reserves ran out.

Hughes is now looking to recoup the cost of his investment from the suppliers and installers - and possibly the makers - of the kitchen equipment that caused the two fires.

He has commissioned a report undertaken by forensic experts often used by the Health & Safety Executive. This report blames the equipment installer.

Hughes, a former general manager at the Theatre Royal in Bath, says that the sale is particularly upsetting as the business, housed in a former 11th century monk's retreat, had just started to make a profit. "We spent six months and around £130,000 renovating the premises and it was packed every night," he said.

Hughes opened the pub and restaurant in May last year and had all the liquid petroleum gas cooking equipment checked to make sure it was safe.

But in September there was a fire involving his chargrill that destroyed several other pieces of equipment. The insurers agreed to pay for replacements and they were bought from, and installed by, the same firm of fitters that had previously inspected the equipment and with which a service contract existed.

Despite losing a week of business, Hughes was given the all-clear to open, but within 24 hours the fat fryer had exploded in a ball of flames and the premises had to be evacuated.

Hughes has since found that the work done contravened Corgi and gas industry regulations. He and his staff fear they may even have been poisoned by carbon monoxide from incorrectly fitted cooking equipment.

Proceedings and writs are being issued within 14 days. The HSE is also understood to be carrying out an investigation into the matter.

By Miles Brignall