Health And Safety Breaches at Detention Centre

G4S is facing prosecution for allegedly failing to implement a smoking ban at an immigration removal centre.

 

A court summons, ordering G4S to appear at Crawley magistrates court next month, has been issued by Crawley council in this highly unusual prosecution.

 

The council is bringing the case against both G4S Plc and G4S Care and Justice Services (UK) Ltd for alleged breaches of health and safety legislation at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick airport. The initial hearing will take place on 6th March, 2019.

 

In 2018 the high court ruled that allowing smoking in "enclosed or substantially enclosed areas" was unlawful.

 

The G4 manager, at Brook House, gave an undertaking to ban indoor smoking by 1 April 2018, but Crawley Council claims that this practice is still continuing.

 

The Outdoor courtyard areas are designated for smokers and tobacco continues to be sold in detention centre shops, but matches and lighters are no longer available.

 

To circumvent the ban detainees are using various methods to light cigarettes such as dismantling kettle plugs and using live wires, placing pins dipped in shower gel in plug sockets, to get a spark or placing foil in microwaves and using the subsequent flame to light cigarettes.

 

An independent investigation found that although smoking inside the centre was supposedly banned in April 2018, it continued openly.

 

G4S said it could not comment.

 

Mandy Peters Solicitors 

Lewisham 

020 8297 4414