£100,000 fine after 18 year-old customer drinks liquid nitrogen

A YORK businessman has been fined after a liquid nitrogen drink at his Lancaster bar sent a young woman to hospital with a perforated stomach.

Andrew Dunn, of Old Earswick, York, was a director of Oscar’s Bar in Lancaster at the time.

Now his firm has been fined £100,000 by Preston Crown Court after Gaby Scanlon, now 20, was given a smoking liquid nitrogen cocktail on her 18th birthday.

Liquid nitrogen can be as cold as -196°C, and Preston Crown Court heard that Ms Scanlon was left “close to death” by the incident.

Oscar’s Wine Bar and Bistro had only opened five months prior to the incident on October 4 2012.

The business pleaded guilty to one count of failing in the duty of an employer to ensure the safety of persons not in its employment, after admitting it had failed to ensure the shot cocktail was safe for consumption.

The court heard that a senior health and safety officer had alerted the family-run business to possible issues with using liquid nitrogen, but had received no response after sending a letter advising on its safe usage.