A self-employed worker has been fined after illegally carrying out gas work at dozens of homes in Appleby-in-Westmorland.

Frederick Stephen Cowell, who is known by his middle name and trades as SC Services, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after working at around 40 homes in the town despite not being registered with Gas Safe – as is legally required.

Carlisle Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Cowell had also worked on gas fires at 25 of the properties even though he lacked the qualifications to carry out this work.


HSE was first alerted to the issue in July 2012 after an investigator from the Gas Safe Register witnessed Mr Cowell removing a gas fire from a house at Bongate Cross.

A subsequent investigation found that he had previously been registered through his former employer, but that his registration had expired over a year earlier in April 2011. Despite this, Mr Cowell had continued to carry out gas work and potentially put lives at risk.

He eventually joined the Gas Safe Register in September 2012 but failed to carry out annual gas safety checks properly and, on two occasions later that month, made entries in the records for operating pressures which were clearly false.

Stephen Cowell, 66, pleaded guilty to one breach of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 by not being registered to carry out gas work, and two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by making false entries on two annual gas safety records.

Mr Cowell, of St Michaels Lane in Appleby-in-Westmorland, was fined £1,900 and ordered to pay £4,123 in prosecution costs.

(CD/JP)