Tipton builder admits pretending to be qualified gas engineer so he could swindle customers

Daniel Mountain, 36, of Gospel Oak Road, Tipton, was due to stand trial this week at Wolverhampton Crown Court but pleaded guilty to four charges brought against him by the Health and Safety Executive.

Wearing a smart white shirt, blue trousers, brown shoes, the tattooed builder only spoke to confirm his guilty pleas at court.

Self-employed Mountain even carried on getting work as a gas fitter after being warned he was prohibited from saying he was Corgi registered.

Charges included "pretending to be an improved person to carry out gas and pipework" and "endangering the health and safety" of people.

The incidents involved jobs he undertook in Oldbury and Dudley in 2021 and 2022. He had been told he was prohibited from carrying out gas work during that period.

Due to the dangerous nature of the dealing with gas the industry is heavily regulated to ensure the safety of the public.

Gas Safe Register is the only official gas registration body of gas businesses and engineers in the United Kingdom and by law all gas businesses must be on the Gas Safe Register.

A spokesman for Gas Safe said: "A gas engineer can only be aligned to a registered business and be issued with a license to undertake gas work on behalf of a registered business if they hold a valid and current qualification."

Gas Safe Register replaced Corgi as the only gas registration body in Great Britain and Isle of Man on April 1, 2009.

Mountain will be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, October 6.