Marks and Spencer plc

Private and voluntary organisations · Public limited company

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First report 9 Dec 2016•Latest report 9 Dec 2016

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Reports
1

Naming this recipient

Published responses
100%

Found for named reports

Concerns addressed
1

Across all linked responses

Stated actions
3

Described in responses

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from Marks and Spencer plc linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

  1. Staffordshire South

    AI-generated summary

    Roy Frederick Lawton · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Roy Frederick Lawton suffered serious burns after dozing off and dropping a cigar, which ignited his dressing gown and pyjamas at his home on 23 July 2016. He died in hospital on 31 August 2016; concerns were raised about the high inflammability of the dressing gown and whether clothing production, importing or retail practices could reduce the risk or warn customers.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Marks and Spencer plc; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Highly inflammable clothing

    Wider context from the report

    “Enquiries into this death included a fire investigation report. The Fire Investigator informed me that the dressing gown that Mr Lawton had been wearing was highly inflammable. He told me that this appears to be the case whether clothing is 100% cotton or a mixture of cotton and polyester. A short while has elapsed since the conclusion of the inquest as you have been kindly checking the production details. I now understand these are TO7/5288 manufactured by Quantium in Vietnam. I wonder if anything can be done either in the production, importing or retail of this clothing either to reduce its inflammability or to warn customers as to the danger . ”
    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Test adult dressing gowns, including raised-fibre products, using flash-flame testing and refuse to sell products that fail.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Currently, the only requirement is to include a label on the gown stating: “Keep away from fire and flames”. M&S goes significantly beyond this legal requirement in its flammability testing of adult dressing gowns, including carrying out a ‘flash flame’ test on its dressing gowns with raised fibres (which carry the greatest risk) and refusing to sell any raised fibre fabrics which fail this test. We also have a strict audit procedure to ensure that dressing gown labels contain the correct customer warning and that raised fibre fabrics pass the ‘flash flame’ test. We are therefore satisfied that M&S goes significantly beyond what is legally required to ensure the safety of its adult dressing gowns.”

    Source location

    2016-0441-Response-by-MS
    Page 2 · response
    Published 12 February 2017

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Test the relevant dressing gown using the rigorous bedding flammability procedure and record a pass result.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “We were not provided with the remains of the Gown and accordingly provided Intertek with the Relevant Product from our store room. Intertek recommended applying the standard testing procedure used for bedding, which is amongst the most rigorous and stringent. The procedure involves placing a lit cigarette on top of, underneath and in between a fold of material. We followed the recommendation and the Relevant Product was subject to the testing procedure for bedding.”

    Source location

    2016-0441-Response-by-MS
    Page 2 · response
    Published 12 February 2017

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Testing indicated the relevant dressing gown was not highly flammable and passed the applied flammability test.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “This testing closely resembled the circumstances of the fire in Mr Lawton’s home. I attach a copy of the Flammability Test Report issued by Intertek which sets out the results of the test. The Test Report records that the cigarette burnt for between 17 and 19 minutes (depending on where it was placed on the Relevant Product) and then went out. No flame was produced and the fabric of the Relevant Product did not burn or smoulder after the cigarette had gone out. The dressing gown therefore received a ‘pass’ for flammability.”

    Source location

    2016-0441-Response-by-MS
    Page 2 · response
    Published 12 February 2017

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    As a retailer, it lacks authority to undertake an industry-wide legislative review of adult dressing-gown flammability standards.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “M&S has a great deal of sympathy for Mr Lawton’s family who will understandably want to ensure that any lessons from Mr Lawton’s death are identified. It is, however, clear from our communications with the Fire Investigator that his concerns lie with the industry wide legal standards for the flammability of adult dressing gowns. You will appreciate that, as a retailer, we do not have the power to carry out this type of legislative review. What we can do is take every reasonable step to ensure that our own customers are safe when wearing the products we sell. For the reasons set out in this letter, M&S is fully satisfied that it does so.”

    Source location

    2016-0441-Response-by-MS
    Page 2 · response
    Published 12 February 2017

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Existing testing, customer warnings and audit procedures are considered sufficient to ensure the safety of adult dressing gowns.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Currently, the only requirement is to include a label on the gown stating: “Keep away from fire and flames”. M&S goes significantly beyond this legal requirement in its flammability testing of adult dressing gowns, including carrying out a ‘flash flame’ test on its dressing gowns with raised fibres (which carry the greatest risk) and refusing to sell any raised fibre fabrics which fail this test. We also have a strict audit procedure to ensure that dressing gown labels contain the correct customer warning and that raised fibre fabrics pass the ‘flash flame’ test. We are therefore satisfied that M&S goes significantly beyond what is legally required to ensure the safety of its adult dressing gowns.”

    Source location

    2016-0441-Response-by-MS
    Page 2 · response
    Published 12 February 2017

    Open published response
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Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026