AN Accrington landlord has been ordered to pay nearly £60,000 in fines and costs after he ignored repeated warnings about arranging an annual gas safety check at a house in the town.

Tariq Ali failed to arrange an inspection at his property in Persia Street after the previous gas safety record expired in October 2012, Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard.

Ali, of Knotwood Court, Accrington, first came to the attention of the Gas Safe Register — the official body for gas engineers — in 2011 after appliances at several of his properties were branded ‘at risk’ or ‘immediately dangerous’ the court heard.

Landlords are required by law to have gas appliances checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer at least once a year.

Ali was given one month to arrange an annual gas safety check at his Persia Street property last September, but was hauled before the court after missing the deadline.

He was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £18,054 in prosecution costs after he admitted failing to have the gas appliances checked annually, and failing to comply with an improvement notice.

Speaking after the hearing, Health and Safety Executive inspector Stuart Kitchingman said: “Mr Ali put his tenants’ lives at risk for financial gain by failing to arrange a gas safety check for nearly two years. We gave him several chances to organise an inspection, but he ignored all of these.

“Dozens of people are killed or badly harmed every year from carbon monoxide poisoning so it is vital that landlords take the risks seriously.”