An unregistered gas fitter has risked lives by carrying out work at numerous homes despite not being registered with Gas Safe.
Self-employed gas fitter Frederick Stephen Cowell, who trades as SC Services, worked illegally at around 40 homes in Appleby-in-Westmorland. Despite not having the qualifications to do so, he also carried out work on gas fires at 25 of the homes.
An investigator from the Gas Safe Register witnessed Mr Cowell removing a gas fire from a property in 2012 and alerted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE then went on to carry out an investigation which found that, despite his Gas Safe registration lapsing a year earlier, he had continued to carry out work at homes illegally.
Mr Cowell pleaded guilty to one breach of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 relating to the lack of registration to carry out gas work and two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for making false entries on two annual gas safety records.
He was fined