A Wiltshire builder has been fined for illegal and dangerous gas work in Somerset, which could have led to a young family - including two young children - being killed by poisonous carbon monoxide fumes.

Phillip Whittaker, from Westbury, was contracted by the householders to build an extension to a house in Bath Road, Frome, in April 2012. During the work he moved a boiler and pipework, leaving the existing gas boiler flue in its original position, allowing potentially deadly carbon monoxide to be vented into the property instead of outside.

Mr Whittaker was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at Yeovil Magistrates today (22 August) after an investigation into his unsafe work revealed he was not a member of the Gas Safe Register - so not legally qualified to carry out gas work.

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The court heard the plans involved moving the existing boiler on an external wall to a new external wall and re-routing the associated gas pipework to a repositioned gas meter.

After Wales and West Utilities moved the gas meter, Whittaker re-routed the pipework, which he connected to the boiler in its existing position and then built the extension over the boiler and flue which was now on an internal wall. As a result, poisonous fumes from the combustion process involved in operating the boiler were vented into the property instead of outside for around six weeks, until the family was alerted to the danger by a friend. A Gas Safe registered engineer was called and rectified the situation.

Checks by HSE established that the builder was not a member of the Gas Safe Register.

Phillip Whittaker, who trades as PJW Property Developments, of Redlands, Bratton, Westbury in Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and was fined a total of £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,000.

(CD/IT)