A property company from Richmond has been prosecuted after endangering lives by repeatedly failing to make sure the gas boilers in the homes it rented were safe and free of dangerous defects.

Barclay Ltd, of south west London, was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following a complaint from a registered gas engineer who discovered that a gas boiler in a rental in Hampstead had not been properly maintained.

HSE found that landlord, Barclay Ltd, had failed to have the boiler checked for safety between 2004 and 2013.

On 10 December Westminster Magistrates heard that an improvement notice was served by HSE on the firm requiring it to complete the statutory landlord safety checks, but the work was not done until two weeks after the notice had expired.

During the investigation, HSE also identified another Barclay property in Hampstead where there had also been no safety inspection of the gas boiler carried out within 12 months.

Barclay Ltd was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay £1,822 in costs after admitting two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and a charge of non-compliance with an enforcement notice. Company director Mr Jonathan Silver appeared in court to enter the guilty pleas.