A property firm in Richmond has been prosecuted for putting the lives of its tenants at risk by repeatedly failing to make sure the gas boilers in their homes were safe.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigated Barclay Ltd, of south west London, after a complaint from a registered gas engineer who discovered that a gas boiler in a rental in Hampstead had not been properly maintained.

Westminster Magistrates court heard on 10 December that the property company had failed to have the required gas safety checks carried out between 2004 and 2013.

An improvement notice was served by HSE on the firm requiring it to complete the statutory landlord safety checks, but the work was not done until two weeks after the notice had expired.

During the investigation, HSE also identified another Barclay property in Hampstead where there had also been no safety inspection of the gas boiler carried out within 12 months.

Barclay Ltd of Kings Road was fined a total of £6,500 and ordered to pay £1,822 in costs after admitting two breaches of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 and a charge of non-compliance with an enforcement notice. Company director Mr Jonathan Silver appeared in court to enter the guilty pleas.

HSE inspector Anne Gloor said: “We found that Barclay Limited owned more than 10 properties in Richmond, Hampstead and Willesden, which involved around 50 tenants. The firm failed to maintain and check the gas appliances in all these properties.

“As a result, it put the lives of the residents, their neighbours, and their own properties in danger and chose to ignore the warnings and enforcement action from HSE.

“Landlords have a statutory duty to carry out annual safety inspections on the gas appliances in their properties to ensure they remain safe to use. A tenant should be provided with a copy of the landlord’s gas safety record to show that this has been done.”