Plumber guilty of illegal gas work and theft

Ashley Powell pleaded guilty to three charges at Hereford Magistrates Court

A Herefordshire plumber has received a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay compensation after dishonestly claiming to have been Gas Safe registered.

Ashley Powell, 39, of Thompson Place, Hereford, carried out illegal gas work on domestic boilers, gas cookers and gas fires between June 2018 and March 2023.

After appearing at Hereford Magistrates Court pleading guilty to three charges, Powell was handed a four month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £1,822.66 in compensation.

The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to falsely claiming he was Gas Safe registered, stealing £140 and deceiving customers.

In response to the March hearing, Herefordshire Council’s head of regulatory and technical services Charles Yarnold advised residents to check that any gas engineer they used was Gas Safe registered.

He said: "The consequences of using someone who is not legally approved can potentially be fatal.

"You should also not pay up front for repairs, just pay in full when the repair has been completed satisfactorily."

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