Trial against four firms over care home fire collapses

The fire service brought the prosecutions under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 following a long and complex investigation into the cause of the fire and the reasons why it spread so rapidly.

Alex Waller, chief fire officer, said: “Following extensive legal submissions heard over the first two days of the trial, unfortunately, it became clear this morning (7 May) that there would be no realistic prospect of securing convictions. After carefully considering legal advice, regrettably we have taken the very difficult decision to withdraw our prosecution case against all four defendants.

“We understand that former residents of Beechmere and their families will be disappointed with this outcome, which is not the one we have been working hard to achieve.”

The four defendants, all of whom pleaded not guilty, faced a total of 14 charges between them.

They were:

In October 2024, six charges against roofing contractor MAC Roofing were dropped and the two against WSP UK were dropped in February 2025.

As a result of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service's investigations into the fire at Beechmere, the emergency service said there had been significant fire safety improvements at four other similar premises across Cheshire.