A woman who ran a Southport horror house filled with tenants has been found guilty in court of putting lives at risk.
Heather Jackson of Church Street in Southport, eventually plead guilty to twelve housing standards offences.
Jackson, whose property housed 16 bedsits, had no licence for such housing when council officers gained entry to investigate last year.
Horrified inspectors found the fire alarms had been deactivated, and escape routes were blocked.
One of two fire exit corridors had been turned into a makeshift kitchen, and a fire door had been locked shut.
After considerable deliberation, magistrates fined Jackson £55,000 – taking into account her early guilty plea. She was also ordered to pay court costs of £2,989.67 and a victim surcharge of £170.