Cheltenham fireworks supplier fined over illegal storage of explosives
Company pleads guilty to multiple safety offences
A company in Cheltenham has been fined for illegally storing fireworks following a Gloucestershire County Council investigation.
Platinum Home Cinema and its director, Chase James Gardiner, were sentenced at Cheltenham Magistrates Court for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Explosives Regulations 2014.
The offences date back to July 2024. The charges include overstocking explosives by 36% in a licensed store and failing to meet safety regulations in unlicensed locations.
Gloucestershire County Council’s Trading Standards Service discovered 1,220kg of fireworks stored unsuitably in containers at a livery yard in Shurdington, near Cheltenham.
The containers were rusted, with holes and poorly closing doors, posing potential fire and explosion risks.
Additionally, separation distances were not observed, placing the containers dangerously close to buildings and homes.
An expert report highlighted risks of serious injury or fatalities.
Records also showed an overstock of fireworks in their licensed store, which violated separation distance requirements.
As a result, Platinum Home Cinema was fined £11,200, and Chase James Gardiner was fined £3,986, with £10,634.30 in costs awarded to the county council.
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities and Fire at Gloucestershire County Council, said:
“This case highlights the serious risks posed by failing to follow safety regulations governing the storage of fireworks.
The quantities involved, combined with the unsuitable conditions and proximity to the public, created a potentially dangerous situation.
Trading Standards informs Fire and Rescue colleagues about the location of licensed stores for the protection of fire fighters.
As this location was unknown, fire fighters would have faced unknown risks had they attended an incident at the livery yard.
Licensing and safety controls exist to protect lives, and we will take action where these are ignored.”
Both Platinum Home Cinema and Gardiner previously admitted guilt to the charges on 22nd April 2026.