A CAMPAIGN to crack down on illegal gas fitters is about to hit the Fylde coast after gas safety watchdogs identified the area as a "cowboy" hotspot.
The Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI), are launching a drive to encourage customers to "report the rogues" amongst gas fitters trading throughout the Fylde.
CORGI spokeswoman, Eve Cooper said: "There is a huge problem with illegal cowboy gas installers working within the Blackpool area.
"As the colder months get started people will be relying on their gas appliances more and more.
"We want to encourage customers to report all non-registered installers to us so that we can take the appropriate action and - no doubt -avoid people being taken seriously ill or worse through shoddy installation workmanship."
By law all working gas fitters must be registered with CORGI - who were set-up to establish standards within the industry following the Canning Town gas explosion which claimed five lives in 1968.
Since then the organisation has accredited more than 47,000 gas installation businesses and trained around 98,000 registered gas fitting operatives to CORGI standards.
But - according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics - around 30 people are still being killed from carbon monoxide poisoning or explosions due to gas leaks caused by unregistered, illegal gas fitters in the UK each year.
Ms Cooper said: "It is a legal requirement for any businesses carrying out gas related work, in relevant premises, to be registered with CORGI. Registered installers have to undertake high levels of training in order to work with gas. A significant amount of gas work carried out by non-registered installers has serious safety defects. Non-registered installers are breaking the law. Because they are not CORGI registered there is no way of knowing whether they are competent to undertake the work or have confidence that the work has been carried out safely.
"Using non-registered installers opens people up to many risks and could endanger their lives and the lives of their family and neighbours."
Any non-registered gas fitters found to be working illegally on the Fylde coast will find themselves facing serious consequences from the HSE which could include a hefty fine and, in some cases, imprisonment.
Ms Cooper added: "Anyone who knows or suspects that a non-registered person is installing gas appliances in their area to get in touch immediately."
Calls in confidence on 0870 401 2300.
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