THE lives of workers who slept above a car wash were put at risk, a court heard.

The H2O car wash in Little Hulton was condemned as a “potential death trap” with the former pub being used as a place for workers to sleep and as a storage area.

Heby Mohammadzadeh, the former owner of the car wash in Worsley Road, has now pleaded guilty to six breaches of fire safety laws.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Fire protection officers carried out an inspection on the business in November, 2012, after being called in by police.

They found the former pub was being used as accommodation and storage as well as a hand car wash.

The ground floor was being used for storage and as a waiting area for customers and the first floor, which had four bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, was being occupied by workers.

The catalogue of safety failings included having no fire alarm system, holes in ceilings of rooms piled high with furniture and cardboard boxes, as well as an exposed electricity meter with loose and hanging wires.

A fire would have rapidly developed and toxic smoke would have spread through the holes to the first floor, the court heard.

The only stairs were obstructed with window frames and there was no emergency lighting.

There were no fire doors, meaning a fire on the ground floor would have not only spread through the holes in the ceiling but also on to the stairs — potentially trapping people upstairs.

Mohammadzadeh, of Cloister Close, Leicestershire, was the sole director of the company running the car wash, Manchester Crown Court heard.

He admitted in an interview that there was no fire alarm and he had not done a risk assessment but stated he had bought two fire extinguishers.

Warren Spencer, prosecuting, said: “The condition of the property was so poor that smoke and fire would spread quickly through holes in the ceiling on to the first floor and people sleeping could inhale toxic smoke and be overcome without waking.

“Whichever way occupants attempted to escape in a fire was fraught with danger.”

Hunter Grey, defending, said the defendant was culpable but that his failure to comply was not a sinister disregard but ignorance.

Recorder Martin Biddle handed him a suspended sentence of three months for each offence and said: “These are serious matters that pass the custody threshold.

“Had there been a fire there was an extremely high likelihood that one or more people would have suffered extremely serious injury or been killed. It is for this reason the regulations exist.

“Fortunately the fire service got to the premises before this occurred and the diligent work of the fire service prevented a tragedy.”

The 33-year-old was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work and pay £2,000 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.