Fire safety regulations could be set for a shake-up under government plans to make them simpler for businesses.

Under the proposals, fire authorities could take action against alarm companies whose equipment regularly makes false alerts, while the need for businesses to display fire certificates would be removed.

Instead, bosses would carry out their own fire safety assessments in an attempt to reduce or remove the risk of a blaze.

"Existing fire safety provision is scattered over many pieces of legislation, causing confusion and difficulties for businesses," a spokesman at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday.

Instead, ministers will seek to create "one simple fire safety regime".