A man has been given a suspended prison sentence after he carried out dangerous and illegal gas work on a property in Bournemouth which could have resulted in carbon monoxide poisoning.
David McCallum, 58, trading as McCallum Plumbing & Heating, attended a property in the Dorset town in February 2023. Part of the work carried out saw McCallum relocating a gas boiler and flue. However, following its installation, the homeowners noticed problems with it and had concerns over the standard of the work that had been done.
They arranged for another gas engineer to check the installation. When they arrived, they carried out an inspection and deemed the boiler to be ‘immediately dangerous’. The gas boiler flue was not sealed or correctly positioned which meant that there was a risk of carbon monoxide leaking into the property.
The matter was reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and an investigation found that McCallum had no training in gas work and was not registered with the Gas Safe Register (GSR).
McCallum knew he should have been registered with GSR to undertake the gas work, as he had previously been a director of a company that had been registered.
David McCallum of Balston Road, Parkstone, Poole, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 3(3), 27(1) and 27(5) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay the homeowner compensation of £3,907 and £7,064 in costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 13 February 2026.
In addition to this, McCallum was given a six-month electronic monitoring order restricting his movements over the weekends.
HSE inspector Simon Jones says:
“David McCallum undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do – and his shoddy work replacing the boiler and flue meant there was an immediate danger of carbon monoxide leaking into the property. McCallum’s illegal gas work put the lives of innocent homeowners at risk for his own financial gain.”
