News / Barton House
Former Green Party candidate arrested after fire alarms go missing at Barton House
“A key advocate for the residents of Barton House” was arrested after parts of the fire alarm system at the tower block in Barton Hill went missing.
Shaban Ali was Bristol branch secretary of Acorn and was also due to stand as a Green Party candidate in Eastville at the upcoming local elections.
But following his arrest on suspicion of handling stolen goods in February, the 37-year-old Barton House resident remains under police investigation and his candidacy has been suspended.
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BBC Bristol reported that contractors had noticed on February 1 that three of the new sensors that had been installed as part of Barton House’s new fire alarm system were missing.
Trackers inside the wireless units confirmed that they were still inside Barton House and they were soon recovered.
The 15-storey Barton House was built in 1958 and contains 98 flats – photo: Martin Booth
Ali was previously lead Barton House campaigner for Acorn and remains a member of the union.
An Acorn spokesperson said: “If someone did steal the fire alarms, that would be really bad, it would have made residents less safe. If there’s an investigation ongoing then it should be carried out.
“Acorn has recently campaigned for fire alarms as part of tower block fire safety campaigns, and we are proud to have won commitments from the council to fit fire alarms where they were missing.”
Ali said he did not want to comment. He was previously one of the Acorn members banned from City Hall after a council meeting was disrupted.
The Green Party did not respond to Bristol24/7’s requests for a statement but on Tuesday confirmed that Ed Fraser is their new candidate in Eastville alongside Lorraine Francis.
Main photo: Shaban Ali
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