Slug and Lettuce fined after admit to breaching health and safety regulations
Magistrates have ordered the Slug and Lettuce pub group to pay out a total of £33,000 after a two-year-old girl fell six feet into a basement.
The girl was captured on CCTV falling through a staircase balustrade at the restaurant and bar in Hanover Street, London, in October 2012. She was taken to hospital, but was not seriously injured, reported the London Evening Standard.
In their follow up investigations, Westminster Council found that the gap in the balustrade violated building regulations.
At Westminster Magistrates Court, Slug and Lettuce admitted a breach of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was ordered to pay an £8,000 fine, £25,000 costs and a victim surcharge of £400.
A spokesman for the chain said: "This incident is extremely regrettable and our sincere apologies were extended to the family at the time.
"Since then we have reviewed, and continue to review, health and safety at all of our premises and I can report that no incidents of this nature have happened since."