A Buckinghamshire tradesman has been jailed for illegally carrying out sub-standard gas work at a Milton Keynes home.

Chris Johnson was sentenced to nine months on 19 July after he installed a boiler at a property on Armourer Drive that was dangerously defective because it was not properly connected to a flue.

Amersham Crown Court heard that concerns were raised about the quality of Johnson's work when the householder returned home from work to find the boiler wasn't working.

Gas Safe and HSE inspectors subsequently visited the property and identified a fault with the flue connection, classing the boiler as unsafe.

The court was told that carbon monoxide fumes could have seeped into the home instead of escaping through the flue, and that this could have had devastating consequences.

An investigation established that Johnson was not registered with Gas Safe and had worked illegally as well as unsafely.

Johnson, of Oxley Park, Milton Keynes, received full, concurrent custodial sentences of nine, eight, six and six months after pleading guilty to a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and three separate breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was also ordered to pay in £2,480 in compensation to the householder.

HSE inspector Graham Tompkins said: "Chris Johnson installed a gas boiler and gas pipework knowing he was not competent or legally allowed to do so.

"People die from carbon monoxide poisoning because gas appliances and flues have not been properly installed, maintained or because they are poorly ventilated. Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can also cause gas leaks, fires, explosions.”