Patients at a doctor's surgery "could have died", a GP has claimed, after a fire in a flat owned by the father of comedians Hardeep and Sanjeev Kohli a day before it was granted a licence.
The fire started in the fuse box of the property owned by Parduman Kohli in Glasgow's west end on Tuesday morning just as surgeries were about to begin in the clinic above.
The next day the flat was granted a house in multiple occupancy (HMO) licence by Glasgow City Council, whose officials were unaware of the incident.
It was reported in The Herald yesterday that at the same meeting, flats owned by Hardeep, a regular on TV, were branded "grubby", "dirty" and sub-standard, while he, his father, brother and sister-in-law were warned over their conduct as landlords.
The council has ruled that the property, at the junction of Hyndland Road and Clarence Lane, must not be occupied until thorough safety inspections have been carried out.
The council delayed approving HMO licences for several Kohli properties on Wednesday until they checked electrical works. Safety certificates, many handed in at the last minute, were questioned by committee members.
According to the tenants and Mr Kohli, the fire started after the circuit breaker appeared to have tripped and the fuse pushed back in.
The three student occupants believed the problem was solved and only became aware of the fire smouldering in the fuse box after the doctor's receptionist told them that smoke was rising into the surgery above.
The receptionist had called Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, which located the problem after smashing a cavity wall.
Last night Dr Andrew McCall, whose surgery is above the flat, said only the quick thinking of the receptionist averted a disaster.
He said: "We'd just arrived and smelt the smoke and my receptionist Jamie acted quickly, otherwise lives could have been lost. The officer in charge of the operation said it was moments from igniting into a significant fire.
"Had this happened at night or when I had patients in we could have had a very serious incident on our hands. I am demanding responses from the city council over their HMO operation."
One of the occupants, who asked not to be named, added: "I'm done with this firm. Our safety was in jeopardy and that's a step too far. When we phoned earlier and asked for an electrician it seemed we weren't being taken seriously."
Kohli Properties operates scores of flats in Glasgow, mainly in the west end, owned by various members of the family.
They have a chequered record in the business, including suspensions of licences and reports to the Health and Safety Executive for carbon monoxide poisoning. A senior councillor this week admitted "concerns" about the firm.
A senior council source said that loopholes in the system left local authorities nearly powerless to close properties they were concerned about. He said tighter legislation was required, adding that fire brigade inspectors should "put the boot in more".
Solicitor, Audrey Blair, of Boyle Shaughnessy, said once Mr Kohli had been told of the fuse problem, he advised his tenants to "err on the side of caution, vacate the premises and call the fire brigade as a preventative measure".
She said the tenants were automatically rehoused and that Mr Kohli advised the fire brigade officer at Wednesday's meeting of the incident, but that this was not communicated to the committee.
She added: "Kohli Properties are fully co-operating with the licensing court."
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