A FILLING station boss who runs four sites in East Lancashire has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling more than £8,000 after admitting offences at his premises in Baxenden and Haslingden.

Firoz Patel, 42, pleaded guilty before magistrates to six offences of contravening conditions of licences to keep petroleum spirit and one offence of breaching a notice prohibiting him from dispensing petrol.

The court heard that in June 2001 trading standards officers carried out routine inspections at Baxenden Service Stations 1 and 2 on Manchester Road, Baxenden, and Haslingden Service Station, Manchester Road in Haslingden.

At Baxenden Service Station 1, officers found unlocked tank filling-pipes giving access to the fuel tanks below. There was no certificate to show the premises had been tested for electrical safety.

Across the road at Baxenden Service Station 2, the story was the same but officers also found a condemned fire extinguisher in the shop and access to other extinguishers was obstructed. On the forecourt wires from the site's public address system were hanging down around one of the pumps.

A pnotice was issued prohibiting use until a qualified electrician had carried out a full inspection but when till-rolls for that day were later examined, officers found the garage had continued to use the pump.

A week later, unlocked fuel filling-pipes had again been found during a visit to the Haslingden site..

On behalf of Patel it was explained the filling-pipes had been left open following fuel deliveries earlier that day. Patel accepted that accessibility to fire-fighting equipment at Baxenden Service Station 2 had been compromised.

Separate fines of £500 were imposed for five of the offences committed at Baxenden with a further £50 fine for failing to produce records at Haslingden.

For the offence of contravening the prohibition notice a fine of £5,000 was ordered together with prosecution costs of £1,866.