Illegal gas fitter prosecuted

Falsely claiming to be a registered gas safe engineer is not only illegal, it is potentially dangerous.

A man has been prosecuted and sentenced after he was discovered illegally installing gas appliances at private homes.

Bennett Morley had carried out gas work while not being competent to do so. He had passed himself off as a registered gas engineer by completing installation paperwork with a false identity number and advising customers that he was registered with them.

Mr Morleys offenses, which involved the installation of a gas boiler, came to light when two different householders made a complaint regarding his work where remedial work had needed to be carried out by an actual registered gas engineer.

At York Magistrates Court, Mr Morley pleaded guilty to all offences and was fined a total of £500 and also ordered to pay £500 toward costs. He was also referred to a debt counsellor.

After the court case, HSE Inspector Julian Franklin said:

“Mr Morley deliberately misled householders about his qualifications. The work he carried out put people at risk and fell well below standard.”

“The HSE will not hesitate to prosecute workmen like Mr Morley who bypass or choose to ignore important safety legislation and thus put people at risk. Registration of qualified engineers with the Gas Safe Register is compulsory and is there to provide the public with confidence in the work that is carried out by gas engineers.”