A fraudulent plumber has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for falsely claiming to be qualified to carry out gas work at a string of properties in Wiltshire.

Simon Dale, 39, was sentenced by Salisbury Crown Court on 28 September, after pleading guilty to multiple offences of fraud and breaching health & safety and gas safety regulations.

The prosecution was brought jointly by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Wiltshire Council's trading standards, after Dale misled customers on 13 occasions regarding his professional accreditation

Working under the company name Cathedral Plumbing Services, Dale carried out work on combination gas central heating and water boilers at six properties across the county between 2007 and 2009.

Dale, who also traded under the company name Wiltshire Plumbing & Heating, made verbal statements claiming to be CORGI registered or qualified to do gas work. He used official logos on paperwork and his work van giving the impression that he was approved by CORGI and the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC).

On one occasion he claimed to be Part P qualified to undertake and self-certify electrical work. On all of these occasions he was not appropriately qualified or registered to undertake the work and never had been.

"This is a classic case of an unqualified tradesman carrying out illegal gas work and making fraudulent claims about his accreditation. We are pleased to have worked together with Wiltshire Council's trading standards to reveal Mr Dale's failings and illegal practices," said HSE Inspector Andy Shaw.

"Carrying out work on gas installations without being a member of the approved registration body, which is now the Gas Safe Register, is both dangerous and illegal.

"The law is there to ensure work is carried out safely to minimise any risk of death or serious injury resulting from gas or fume leaks or explosions.

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for public health and public protection services, Keith Humphries said: "I'm pleased with the outcome as this has been a very long running and complex case. It sends a clear message that this type of fraud is simply not acceptable, and this case, could have put lives at risk.”

Dale, of Andover, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to six offences under section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

He also pleaded guilty to 10 offences of fraud by misrepresentation, breaching the Fraud Act 2006, and a further three breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, for engaging in unfair commercial practice.

He was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison: 18 months for eight of the fraud offences and a further 12 months for the gas safety and unfair trading offences, to run concurrently. For the two additional fraud offences, that he committed whilst on bail for the other offences, he was sentenced to a further 12 months to run consecutively. No prosecution costs were awarded.