Two Sheffield landlords have been handed suspended jail sentences after dangerous defects were found on every gas appliance at a house they rented out to a young woman.

During the prosecution of landlords Waheed Ahmid and Farhat Basharat, his wife, Sheffield Magistrates heard the defects were discovered after a council housing officer visiting the property in Gleadless Road noticed a gas fire's flame burning yellow.

A Gas Safe Register Investigator was called in and found a range of serious faults with appliances and fittings throughout the property. He decommissioned the boiler, cooker and gas fires in the lounge and dining room after classifying them 'immediately dangerous'. He also found evidence of carbon monoxide fumes.


The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which brought the prosecution, found the appliances and flues had not been checked annually by a registered gas engineer, they had not been maintained in a safe condition as required by law, and the tenant had never been given a copy of the gas safety record.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Denise Fotheringham described the condition of the gas appliances as "shocking" and said the landlords had put their tenant at risk of serious injury or even death.

Waheed Ahmid, of Albert Road, Sheffield S8, and Farhat Basharat of Violet Bank Road, Sheffield, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three charges under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations carried out between 3 December 2009 and 2 December 2010.

Both were handed three month jail sentences, suspended for 12 months. Ahmid was also ordered to undertake 150 hours of community service and pay £2,500 towards prosecution costs. Basharat was ordered to undertake 200 hours of community service and pay £5,000 in costs.

(CD/GK)