A landlord has been prosecuted after putting the lives of his tenants at risk by illegally fitting a gas boiler.
Richard Elliott, from Exeter, pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and was fined £4,000 with costs of £1,787 and a £15 to the victim compensation fund.
Honiton Magistrates Court heard how Mr Elliott was installing a new boiler at a flat in Old Tiverton Road when he failed to safely isolate and cap the live gas pipe, before leaving the work partially completed.
The tenant of the flat was visited by her young grandchildren on a daily basis before concerns about the work were raised by a visiting officer from Exeter City Council.
Simon Jones, Health and Safety Executive inspector, said: "The pipework left in the flat was extremely dangerous and could have led to a major gas explosion if one of the children had simply twisted the valve to let the gas escape."
Earlier this month, Michael Huggins, from Bristol, was prosecuted over a defective gas fire installation in 2008.
