An employee was “extremely lucky” to survive a blaze at a takeaway whose management “totally disregarded” fire safety regulations, York magistrates heard.

One exit of Bilash Tandoori was blocked up and the worker suffered a burnt hand as he fled downstairs past flames as high as himself, and through a corridor cluttered with plastic boxes to escape the blaze, said Karen Galloway, prosecuting, for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

He had been spending the night upstairs there with his employer’s knowledge after closing time when the fire began in a fryer downstairs at 5.30am on November 10, 2013.

The takeaway in Bromley Street, off Leeman Road, York, had no smoke detectors or fire doors fitted.

Immediately after the blaze firefighters served a prohibition notice stopping anyone from sleeping on the premises.

“The fire crew said the employee was extremely lucky to be alive,”

said Miss Galloway. “Fire precautions in this property were woefully inadequate. There was, we would say, a total disregard. There was no thought given to fire safety.”

The takeaway’s boss, Mohamin Ahmed, 26, of Evelyn Crescent, Clifton, pleaded guilty to two breaches of fire safety regulations and was sent to York Crown Court for sentence, where he will appear on November 6.

His solicitor Lee-Anne Robins- Hicks said: “This has been a massive wake-up call for him. He has paid a considerable price personally.”

He hadn’t intended to put the employee in danger and had himself lived at the restaurant for a time.

The takeaway was a family business in which he had been involved for several years.

He had been increasingly involved after his sister started a university course and his father’s health deteriorated, but had never had specific training.

The fire safety breaches had occurred out of ignorance.

At the time of the fire he had been carrying out redecorating and temporarily stored the plastic boxes in the corridor. They were not normally there.

His part of the family had lost the income from the takeaway, had financial difficulties, and he was now working as a self-employed taxi driver.