Councillors revoke licence of Perth hotel closed since fatal fire

A Perth hotel - closed since a horrific fire in January 2023 where three people died - has had its alcohol licence revoked by Perth and Kinross Licensing Board.

On Wednesday, April 17 councillors unanimously agreed to rescind the premises licence of the New County Hotel.

The Perth city centre's annual fees have not been paid for two years with the outstanding bill owed to Perth and Kinross Council mounting to £1000.

On January 2, 2023 60 firefighters and 21 ambulance crews responded after a fire broke out just after 5am at the hotel on Perth's County Place.

It tragically claimed the lives of sisters Donna Janse Van Rensburgh (44) and Sharon McLean (47) from Aberdeen and Keith Russell (38) from Edinburgh as well as Donna’s pet King Charles Spaniel, Joey.

Last week a spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a joint investigation between itself and Police Scotland into the incident was still ongoing.

The hotel's owner Rashid Hussain (59) died in a London hospital in August 2023. Mr Hussain owned both Edwin Hotels Ltd which owned the hotel building and Perth Hospitality Limited which ran the New County Hotel.

Perth Hospitality Ltd went into liquidation in August 2023 and is now in receivership. No representative of the hotel was present at Wednesday's meeting.

Depute Clerk to the Licensing Board Collin Elliott told councillors: "We have had no contact from the official receiver as to whether they would attend or not."

The review was due to non-payment of licensing fees for 2022 and 2023, of £500 each year amounting to £1000 owed. Councillors were told a reminder had been sent for each year's non-payment.

Councillors unanimously voted to revoke the hotel's licence for its breach of the licensing agreement in its non-payment of fees.