A London-based landlord has appeared in court after he failed to arrange for annual gas safety checks to be carried out at three flats in Morecambe.

Sean Powell, 44, failed to fulfil his legal requirement to arrange annual gas safety checks by a Gas Safe registered engineer, putting the lives of his tenants at risk.

He pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 by and was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £1,424 in prosecution costs by Lancaster Magistrates' Court on 28 September.

HSE Principal Inspector Mike Sebastian said: "Mr Powell put the lives of his tenants at risk by failing to arrange for a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out annual checks of his properties.

"Dozens of people are killed or become seriously ill in the UK each year as a result of carbon monoxide poising, caused by unsafe gas appliances.

"This case should act as a warning to landlords that if they ignore the law then we will take action against them."