Landlord fined £4k for gas safety breaches

A landlord from Exeter has pleaded guilty to potentially putting his tenants and other people at risk of contracting carbon monoxide poisoning.

Richard Elliot admitted two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 at a case at Honiton Magistrates Court - which is located in Devon - following his prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

An independent investigation conducted by the HSE found that Mr Elliot had illegally fitted a gas boiler at one of his properties by not capping and isolating the live gas pipe and leaving the work unfinished.

A visit from an officer of Exeter City Council in March this year ended in the problem at the flat - which is occupied by a grandmother - being discovered.

Mr Elliot was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,787 for his role in the incident and HSE inspector Simon Jones commented: "The pipe work left in the flat was extremely dangerous and could have led to a major gas explosion."

Posted by Patrick White
 

26/08/2010 16:03