A court has heard that an unregistered gas fitter from Cornwall put his customers' lives at risk by leaving a new boiler in a dangerous condition.
Ben Littleton from Fowey was not Gas Safe registered and so not legally able to install the boiler in March last year. He also illegally carried out safety checks for landlords at two properties in the town.
Mr Littleton's work on the boiler was checked by a registered gas engineer, who classed the boiler as 'at risk' and alerted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which prosecuted him at Truro Magistrates Court on 14 March.
The court heard that Mr Littleton had installed boilers at two homes, one of which had an incorrectly sealed flue which meant that gases, including carbon monoxide, could have re-entered the property posing a risk to the residents.
In addition, the HSE investigation found that Mr Littleton had carried out gas safety checks for landlords on two rented properties in Fowey. He faked safety documents by using a Gas Safe Register ID number belonging to a properly registered company that had previously employed him.
Mr Littleton pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and was fined a total of £2,000 and ordered to pay £2,159 in costs.
