A self-employed builder from Suffolk has been handed a prison sentence and community service after endangering a householder when he left a gas supply pipe open and uncapped after illegally removing a boiler as part of a central heating installation project.

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident on 11 October 2012, it was found that Keith Vickerstaff was not Gas Safe registered and was not qualified to carry out any works involving the removal or installation of gas appliances.

It was discovered that Mr Vickerstaff had been reported to Gas Safe’s predecessor, CORGI, in 2007 for a similar offence of carrying out unregistered gas work.

On 30 September Ipswich Crown Court heard that Mr Vickerstaff removed a gas boiler and left an open ended, uncapped, gas supply pipe. It was later classed as ‘immediately dangerous’ by a Gas Safe investigator, who checked the work after Mr Vickerstaff abandoned the job, despite taking a considerable deposit for installing full central heating.

Mr Vickerstaff was given a six month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and 180 hours of unpaid community work after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.