Hereford plumber, Ashley Aaron Powell, was found to have dishonestly claimed to have been Gas Safe registered, carrying out illegal gas work on domestic boilers, gas cookers and gas fires between June 2018 and March 2023.
In a Herefordshire Council Trading Standards prosecution at Hereford Magistrates Court on 19 March, Ashley Powell pleaded guilty to three charges, under the Fraud Act, Theft Act and Unfair Trading Regulations. The Magistrates imposed a four month suspended prison sentence and ordered him to pay £1,822 in compensation to eight of his customers.
The court heard how Powell had installed a new boiler for one woman in Hereford and Gas Safe subsequently condemned the installation resulting in her having to pay for repairs to make it safe. He issued bogus gas safety certificates with his Gas Safe registration and licence number which had expired in March 2018. Powell also took deposits for parts and failed to carry out the work.
Charles Yarnold, Herefordshire Council’s Head of Regulatory and Technical Services said:
“Residents are strongly advised to check that any gas engineer they use is actually Gas Safe registered. The consequences of using someone who is not legally approved can potentially be fatal. You should also not pay up front for repairs, just pay in full when the repair has been completed satisfactorily.”
Anyone concerned about the activity of a potential rogue trader is urged to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 2231133.