A businessman has been jailed for 14 weeks for running an illegal late night drinking den and nightclub in Tooting.

Justin Chuddie is thought to be the first person in the country imprisoned for breaching licensing laws introduced by the Government in 2005.

He was sentenced by a judge at Kingston Crown Court who was told Chuddie brazenly breached both licensing and health and safety laws.

He repeatedly sold alcohol to customers at his seedy drinking den above a shop in Mitcham Road, even after he was caught and ordered to stop.

And the premises were so dangerous that customers were said to have risked their lives every time they went there.

Passing sentence after Chuddie finally admitted two offences, Judge Mitchell told him: "This was a flagrant breach of the law; you were given the opportunity to stop, you didn't, you carried on.

"Places such as this can and do go up in flames and people are killed."

The prosecution was brought by Wandsworth council's environmental services division in response to long running problems at the premises.

A detailed search of the venue uncovered a catalogue of serious health and safety breaches, including a locked fire exit.

A single metal staircase led to the only toilet - but also served as one of the main escape routes for customers in the event of an emergency.

It was so corroded it would have probably collapsed under the weight of people fleeing the building.

The premises were also so poorly lit people were using the glow from their mobile phones to find their way around.

The electrics could have proved dangerous to customers and staff or sparked a fire and ceiling fans were so poorly attached they could have fallen on people.

Some material containing asbestos inside the building had been damaged and therefore could have constituted a health risk.

After being notified that he was being prosecuted by the council, Chuddie elected to have his case heard at the crown court, and then changed his defence team on a number of occasions before finally pleading guilty at the tenth hearing.

As well as the 14 week jail sentence, he was fined £485 and ordered to pay the council's prosecution costs of just under £13,000. A large quantity of alcohol was also ordered to be forfeited.

Councillor Stewart Finn, chairman of the council's licensing sub-committee said: "The building was an absolute death trap and it's perhaps only sheer good luck that no one was badly hurt there."