Property owners, British Land Universal plc, Alliance & Leicester plc, and Pizza Hut (UK), are suing a Leicester roofing contractor and Cranbrook (Jewellers) for damages of more than £3.4m, as a result of a fire, allegedly caused by workmen, at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Leicester.
The property owners allege that Cranbrook, which ran a jewellery and pawnbroker’s shop called Mallards, had engaged roofing contractor, Darren Varnam, through a firm called Alright Roofing, to carry out repairs to a single-storey extension at the back of the shop.
They allege that on 16 November 1998, Varnam’s employees used blow torches to melt bitumen, but that the blow torches started a smouldering fire in a windowsill, which spread from the jewellers into Pizza Hut, and then into Alliance & Leicesters main offices.
The property owners are accusing Mr Varnam, of Unit 2 Abbey Court, Wallingford Road, Leicester, and Cranbrook, of Basildon, Essex, of negligence.
British Land is claiming £888,962 for the estimated cost of repairs, and £212,335 for loss of rent, plus interest, while Alliance & Leicester is claiming damages of £858,340.16 and Pizza Hut is claiming damages of £1,698,021.
PLS News 13/6/01
