Langham cinema gets fire inspection, and court date

Fire services inspectors will check the UA Langham cinema in Mongkok today, which has failed to meet fire and building safety rules while operating without a licence.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department yesterday filed for a court order to stop the new cinema from operating until it receives a licence.

The Fire Services Department said United Artists' Langham still had not submitted documents on the ventilation system and seat material.

'We are still waiting for the operator to submit their report on ventilation, and then we will inspect the system and verify the findings in the report,' a department spokesman said.

He added that the department must verify whether the seat fabric was fire-resistant, but that the cinema had not handed in a test report.

A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that a hearing about the court order application was scheduled for March 14 at Kowloon City court.

Despite being prosecuted for operating without a licence in November, December and this month, the cinema has stayed open.

UA Cinema Circuit earlier released a statement saying it was in full compliance with all operating systems, fire services and related fixtures and had full insurance cover.

The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of $25,000, six months' jail and a daily fine of $2,000.