MOST public buildings and flats audited by fire services in Hampshire fail to meet fire safety standards, figures reveal.

All non-domestic properties and communal areas receive fire safety audits at some point, to make sure they follow fire safety laws, with a rating of "unsatisfactory" indicating changes are needed.

Hampshire firefighters carried out 923 audits in 2018-19, the latest Home Office statistics show. Buildings tested include care homes, hospitals and high-rises, as well as schools and shops.

Of these, 57% were deemed unsatisfactory – 530 buildings in total.

Checking unsatisfactory buildings took up 16 weeks of fire crews' time, according to the data, with tasks ranging from contacting property owners and managers to carrying out on-site visits and enforcement action.

Premises falling short on safety standards are subject to follow-up action from the fire service or courts, taking into account the threat posed to the public and whether those responsible agree to make changes.

Inspectors issued 69 written warnings in 2018-19, and 33 formal notices comprising of:

One enforcement notice stating what improvements are needed and when16 prohibition notices banning or restricting use of the premises until problems are sorted16 orders to tell firefighters of changes that may raise the fire risk in the building

Following audits, 58 premises were brought back into "satisfactory" standards.

Not all premises in the area would have been inspected over the period.

Fire services choose how many audits they carry out based on their own inspection strategy – meaning crews may elect to target higher-risk properties.

Across England, crews carried out 49,300 audits in 2018-19, representing 3% of all premises known to them.

A third of audits were unsatisfactory, a similar share to the previous year, though the number of audits carried out was down by 42% since 2010-11.

Asked what fewer fire checks meant for public safety, a Home Office spokeswoman said: "Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work and overall will receive around £2.3 billion in 2019-20.

"Fire and rescue authorities must have in place a risk-based inspection programme to ensure buildings comply with fire safety standards.

"It is for individual fire and rescue authorities to decide what inspections are necessary, based on their assessment of local risk."