Father And Son Sentenced Over Illegal Gas Work That Caused Leak

The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted a landlord and his son after unqualified gas work at a rental property in Hanley led to a leak; the case reinforces the legal requirement for Gas Safe registration and the need for landlords and householders to check engineer credentials.

A father and son from Whittington have been sentenced after unauthorised gas work at a rented house in Hanley, Stoke on Trent, caused a leak that endangered the tenants, including a baby. A British Gas engineer first attended the property on 1 December 2023 after the tenant reported the boiler was hissing and leaking cold water, and the boiler was taken out of use. The landlord, Wayne Culliss, arranged a replacement which he subcontracted to his son Kazys. The son carried out the installation on 9 January 2024 and a later Gas Safety check detected gas on site; a gas tightness test identified a leak and the supply was capped.

Kazys Culliss pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 and was given a 12 month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay 500 pounds in costs at Wrexham Magistrates Court on 21 July 2026. His father Wayne Culliss pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined 3,000 pounds and ordered to pay 2,500 pounds in costs.

The case underlines that anyone carrying out gas work must be Gas Safe registered and hold the necessary qualifications to show they are competent. HSE has made clear it will prosecute where unqualified work puts people at risk, and it urges householders and landlords to always check the identity and registration number of anyone doing gas work and verify the registration online or by contacting the Gas Safe Register. Consumers can contact the Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500 and engineers on 0800 408 5577. The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Tiger with paralegal officer Lynne Thomas and supported by HSE visiting officers Sarah Ough and Natalka Heath.

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