A HOTEL company has been fined £11,000 after a  five-year-old suffered severe burns at a wedding reception when he tripped over an electric cable, tipping over a pot of hot gravy

Here For You Hospitality Middlesbrough Limited has been ordered to pay more than £11,000 in fines and costs for failing to protect the safety of the public.

The prosecution was brought by Middlesbrough Council after Environmental Health Officers from its Public Protection Service investigated a serious accident at The Sporting Lodge in Low Lane, Middlesbrough in November, 2016.

A five-year-old child tripped over a trailing electric cable to a soup kettle which had been left unattended by the staff.

The kettle containing scalding hot gravy tipped its contents over the child causing severe burn injuries.

The child required immediate hospital treatment and still has visible scars from the burns.

Here For You Hospitality Middlesbrough Limited was charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 with failing to protect persons not in their employment.

Appearing before Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Monday (May 21), the company pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety law and was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 to the victim and £1,645 towards the Council’s costs.

Judith Hedgley, Middlesbrough Council’s head of public protection, said: “This company failed to manage their business safety, giving rise to a serious risk to the public which resulted in a child being injured.

“This incident caused significant distress not only to the child but to friends and family at a wedding party which turned a happy occasion into a serious incident.

“Employers must take steps to protect their employees and any other people who could be affected by their work, giving particular consideration to the more vulnerable and those at greater risk such as small children.”

Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for adult social care and public Health, said: “Health and safety laws are there to set standards and protect workers and others.

“The Council has a duty to ensure Health and Safety standards in more than 2,500 workplaces in Middlesbrough.

“When standards fall below those required by law, there can be serious consequences for employees and - as in this case - the public.

“Officers from the Public Protection Service thoroughly investigate workplace accidents and where necessary, enforcement action will be taken.”

The Northern Echo has contacted Here For You Hospitality Middlesbrough Limited for a comment.