18 Jan 2012
A gas engineer has been ordered to carry out community work after admitting fitting a cooker without authorisation.
Royston Godsell, from Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3 (3) of Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 during a hearing at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutors said the 72-year-old assembled and fitted the cooker at an elderly person’s home in the town despite two previous gas safety convictions.
The pensioner got in touch with trading standards who passed the case on to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
They discovered that Godsell was not registered with Gas Safe Register, the official body for gas engineers, and was subject to an HSE notice prohibiting him from carrying out such work.
After admitting the offences, magistrates ordered Godsell to do 80 hours of community service and pay £500 towards costs. He was also given a one-year ban from doing work on gas installations or pipework.
Copyright Press Association 2012