A Rochdale man has been prosecuted for putting lives at risk by illegally carrying out gas work at three homes in the borough.

Paul Gregory was sentenced to 300 hours of community service and ordered to pay £2,279 costs by Trafford Magistrates' Court on 14 September after pleading guilty to five breaches of the Gas Safety Regulations.


The court heard that Gregory installed a new boiler and gas hob, classified as 'immediately dangerous', at one house on Holmes Street, despite not being a registered gas fitter.


Shortly after the installation had been completed, the owner of the house contacted National Grid to get the gas meter changed from a pay-as-you-go to a conventional meter.


While at the property, the National Grid engineer spotted several problems with the gas work and found the gas hob to be in a dangerous condition.


Gregory had also carried out gas safety checks for a landlord two other properties. He used a fake Gas Safe Register number when completing the formal documents, giving the impression they met legal requirements.


HSE Inspector Philip Strickland said: "Paul Gregory put lives at risk at three properties in Rochdale by falsely claiming he was registered to carry out gas work.


"Landlords rely on annual gas safety checks to make sure their properties are safe, but the checks Gregory completed were worthless. He also left the gas hob at one house in a dangerous condition, and it is only luck that no one was injured as a result.”