A landlord has been prosecuted for serious gas safety failings at his rental property in Plymouth.

Lokendra Kumar Khadka of Albert Road, Plymouth, has been sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, with £4,904 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulations 36 (3)(a) and 36(4) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Plymouth Crown Court heard how gas appliances at the property on Laira Street were worked on by someone who was not registered with the Gas Safe Register.

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A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Mr Khadka had failed to ever have gas appliances checked for safety at his rental property. In addition, HSE said he had arranged for a person to make alterations to a gas boiler flue and that person had left it in an extremely dangerous state.

Mr Khadka was unable to provide any details to HSE or to Plymouth Crown Court on who did this work on the gas boiler flue for him.

HSE inspector Simon Jones said: "Mr Khadka put his tenants and their children at a very real risk of death from the gas work he arranged at his rental property, done by someone who was not competent to do it safely.

"Landlords must ensure they only use Gas Safe Register installers to work on gas appliances at their tenanted properties.

"Further, landlord's must ensure that gas appliances at their tenanted properties are checked for safety at least every 12 months."

(LM/MH)