THE manager of a snooker club put "lives at risk" by flouting safety laws, according to fire chiefs.

Inspectors found that emergency exits were blocked and the fire alarm broken when they visited Accrington Snooker Club, Abbey Street, a court heard.

No risk assessment had been carried out, and there were no extinguishers on hand or emergency lights in case a fire had broken out, magistrates heard.

Club manager, Zafar Aslam, was found guilty of eight breaches of the Fire Safety Order at Hyndburn Magistrates' Court.

Aslam, who lives in Accrington, did not turn up for the hearing.

A warrant has been issued to bring him to court for sentencing, where he could face fines of thousands of pounds.

Inspectors visited the club, based on the first and second floors of the building, in February 2007 after Hyndburn environmental health inspectors raised concerns about fire safety, the court heard.

Fire chiefs shut the premises with immediate effect, but it has since been reopened after the man-agement complied with inspectors' demands and made the club safe, the court was told.

Under the Fire Safety Order, which came into place in October 2006, bosses are legally obliged to carry out risk assessments in their premises and put emergency fire safety measures in place.

After the case, watch manager Phil Mayers, of Hyndburn fire safety department, said the way in and out of the club - a staircase - had been obstructed by gambling machines.

He said: "There was only one means of escape. If there had been a fire on that means of escape, then people would clearly have been trapped.

"Not having a fire alarm is very serious because if a fire had broken out people would obviously not have known.

"People need to be aware it is their responsibility to carry out a risk assessment.This is a prime example of someone blatantly dis-regarding the safety of people's lives."