A Darlington man has been handed an 18-month jail sentence after posing as a gas engineer and carrying out illegal work.

Neil Simon McKimm, trading as Macs Plumbing Services, deceived members of the public by signing off the work using the name of Robert Welsh, a properly accredited Gas Safe engineer.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered Mr McKimm carrying out work including boiler servicing on a number of occasions.

Mr McKimm, of West Moorland Street, Darlington, was charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Teesside Magistrates found him guilty of the charges.

“Gas work must be carried out by properly registered Gas Safe engineers, and HSE will robustly pursue those that break the law,” warned HSE inspector Paul Wilson after the hearing.”