A LANDLORD has been handed a suspended six-month prison sentence for putting tenants’ lives at risk.

Tariq Ali will be electronically tagged for 12 months after he put off gas safety checks at an Accrington house.

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He ignored warnings from the Health and Safety Executive, putting tenants at the Persia Street property at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Stuart Kitchingman, HSE inspector, 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, including a formal improvement notice.

“HSE will always take legal action if notices are not complied with. We will continue to prosecute landlords who think the law doesn’t apply to them.”

Mr Ali, who was sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, April 18, must pay £20,000 towards HSE costs and abide by a curfew between 7pm and 7am until July.

The court heard Ali first came to the attention of the Gas Safe Register in 2011 as several of his properties were classified as “at risk” or “immediately dangerous”.

The landlord’s previous gas safety record for the property had expired in October 2012.

By law, landlords are required to ensure gas appliances are checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer on an annual basis.

More than eight people are killed and almost 330 people are injured every year by carbon monoxide poisoning from gas appliances and from faulty gas installations, according to HSE figures.

Jonathan Samuels, chief executive of Gas Safe Register, said: “It s important landlords know their duties and tenants know their rights. A landlord must be able to provide a gas safety record for the property, showing that the gas appliances have been safety checked in the last 12 months.”

He said tenants can sign up to a free reminder service at staygassafe.co.uk to make sure landlords are carrying out their duties.