Man Jailed for Fraudulent and Dangerous Gas Work Involving Elderly Home

Brief Summary

A man was jailed for carrying out illegal gas work while falsely claiming Gas Safe registration. The case highlights the risks of unqualified work, repeated disregard of immediately dangerous notices, and failures by an employer to verify registration before sending a worker to install a boiler.

What Was The Incident?

In May 2022, he was sent to install a new boiler in a 90 year old homeowner’s property in Croydon. He lied about being qualified and was not on the Gas Safe register. He also issued a fraudulent gas safety certificate with a Gas Safe registration licence number. Relatives later reported issues with hot water and a smell of gas, and Jackson returned to carry out repairs even after an immediately dangerous notice was issued.

What Was The Outcome?

He pleaded guilty to contravening Regulations 3(3) and 3(7) of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 and was jailed for 12 months at Croydon Crown Court on 4 February 2026. HSE also served an immediate prohibition notice on the company that sent him for the work.

What Lessons Can Be Learnt?

Verify Gas Safe registration before any gas work. Employers and those arranging gas services should check that the engineer is registered before work starts, rather than relying on claims made by a contractor.

Do not treat illegal gas work as a minor breach. Gas work carried out without proper registration is illegal and can create serious risks such as gas leaks, fire, explosion, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Immediate dangerous notices must be taken seriously. Ignoring an immediately dangerous notice can allow hazardous equipment to be put back into use, even when there is clear evidence the situation is unsafe.

Prior convictions should trigger stronger controls. A previous prosecution for the same offence was not enough to prevent continued illegal gas work, so verification and vetting must be robust every time, not just at the start of a contract.

Employers are responsible for contractor checks. The company sent him without verifying he was Gas Safe registered, which led to enforcement action and prosecution outcomes, reinforcing that dutyholders must carry out proper checks on those they commission.

HSE Prosecution Link