Islington Council has issued a warning over an “unsafe” blender which caused a fatal flat fire in Tottenham.
The council was alerted after one man died following a flat fire in Willoughby Park Road, Tottenham in December 2021.
The London Fire Brigade believed the fire was caused by a blender produced by Boxo Blend - a company registered to a virtual address in Old Street.
The council immediately issued a suspension notice while an expert later found the blender did not comply with safety regulations due to voltage issues and a lack of thermal protection.
Although 1,000 blenders have been seized by the council, it is believed 650 were sold or given away to the public after being imported from China.
“If you think you might have one of these unsafe ‘Boxo Blend’ blenders please check now, don’t use the device and dispose of it safely,” councillor John Woolf, Islington Council’s executive member for community safety, said.
“This incredibly tragic case, which occurred in our neighbouring borough, highlights how important it is for all businesses, however small, to fulfil their legal responsibility to make sure any products they import are tested and meet UK safety regulations.
“We remain forever vigilant, and we will investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute to help protect the public.”
The investigation concluded that the company had assumed safety checks had been carried out by the Chinese manufacturer before the product was exported.
After the fatal fire, the company was found to have not issued a recall of the remaining blenders which prompted the council to initiate legal proceedings.
Bashiru Anthony Blenman, one of the men who ran the company, pleaded guilty to two offences under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, one for having the unsafe blender for supply and one for not informing the council where the blenders were when required to do so.
At Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 1 February 2023, Mr Blenman was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months, 150 hours of unpaid work, and was asked to make a contribution of £700 to costs plus a £128 victim’s surcharge.
A forfeiture order for all seized blenders was also made.
