Trader fined over dangerous stove installation

A trader has been fined after a badly-installed stove put a couple's health at risk.

Lincolnshire Stoves Ltd, based in Scunthorpe, fitted a wood-burning stove at a property in Brayton, near Selby.

After it leaked, an inspector found a number of concerning faults which posed a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The company and its director, Oliver Brown, were fined £500 and £204 respectively at York Magistrates' Court on Friday and ordered to pay a victim surcharge and costs.

The investigation by Trading Standards looked into Brown, of Sands Lane, Scotter, after receiving a complaint from the couple.

An inspector from HETAS, an approval body for heating equipment installers, found that flue interference and inadequate ventilation presented a risk of excess carbon monoxide production.

The court heard the flue height had been insufficient, there had been a lack of chimney support, and the stove was too close to plasterboard and a skirting board, giving an increased risk of fire.

The householders had also been left without a fixed carbon monoxide alarm, a notice plate, or the commissioning documents.

With faults so concerning, the inspector categorised the stove as "immediately dangerous" and instructed the householders not to use it.

Brown was given the opportunity to correct the faults within a deadline set by HETAS, but he failed to do so and was removed from their register.

North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les praised HETAS for acting quickly to remove Brown's registration.

"I hope that the convictions of both Brown and the company underline the potentially serious outcome of his work and send a message to all installers to ensure they follow building regulations and standards when fitting heating equipment," he said.

"The householders were fortunate in this case in that the leak alerted them to the problem installation, but without that they might have suffered the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning for some time."

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