Hornsea Garden Centre: Firm behind popular Yorkshire garden centre fined £18,000 for selling 'dangerous' cushions

Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centres Ltd, of Woodthorpe, Alford, Lincolnshire, was fined £18,000 after pleading guilty at Beverley Magistrates to six charges of breaching fire safety regulations.

The cushions, which were on display at Hornsea Garden Centre, Hornsea Road, Sigglesthorne, were for use indoors on sofas and beds.

Beverley Magistrates heard that East Riding of Yorkshire Council trading standards officers carried out a routine inspection at the garden centre on April 17 2023 and spotted the non-labelled cushions, which came in nine different designs.

Two were taken away for further inspection.

Officers went back and collected the remaining 118 cushions. Samples were sent off for flammability testing at Fire International Ltd but they all failed the tests.

A representative of Woodthorpe Hall Garden Centres Ltd pleaded guilty to the charges on January 31.

The company was fined £3,000 for each charge, and ordered to pay costs of £4,854, and a victim surcharge of £2,000.

The cushions were forfeited and destroyed.

Daniel Padgham, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s trading standards manager, said people should make sure cushions and other soft furnishings have the correct labels attached. He said: “These cushions were very dangerous and posed a serious fire risk to those who had bought them.

"The company involved in this case is an experienced trader which failed in its obligations in relation to the safety regulations when simple physical checks would have revealed the inadequate labelling of the products.

"I would urge anyone buying items such as cushions and soft furnishings to ensure they have the correct safety labels attached so they know the items they are taking into their homes are safe.

“The council does, and will continue to, take robust action when the safety of consumers is put at risk due to hazards from unsafe goods”.