Pimlico Plumbers' Charlie Mullins has commented on the potential danger of allowing anyone to purchase boilers and gas equipment.

“There are some merchants who refuse to sell to anyone unless they can prove they are Gas Safe registered, but it's by no means all of them. Rogue fitters can also head to the badlands of the internet where it’s a lot easier to get hold of this stuff.

“Of course, it’s not illegal for non-Gas Safe people to buy the equipment, but they can’t legally install it.”

Mr Mullins concluded: “The truth of the matter is there's only one opportunity to protect people from this dangerous legal anomaly, and that's to make it illegal to buy gas equipment without a Gas Safe ticket.”