A Harrow landlord was given a suspended jail sentence and fined £10,000 after putting his tenants’ lives in danger.

Vispasp Sarkari, who rented out five flats in London Road, Wembley, was charged with a serious safety breach after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.

Southwark Crown Court heard yesterday that Mr Sakari, of Hawthorne Avenue, Harrow, was caught ‘red-handed’ by a visiting National Grid engineer carrying out work on a boiler on August 13, 2013 - despite the fact he was not registered.

After the court heard HSE found evidence he had been carrying out the work for some time, he was sentenced to 12 months’ in prison - suspended for two years.

Mr Sakari was also sentenced to 150 hours’ unpaid community work, a fine of £10,000 and ordered to pay £9,978 in costs after admitting breaching the gas safety regulations.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Lisa Chappell said: “The potential consequences arising from using unregistered and possibly incompetent gas fitters are significant and well-known. They include serious injury from fire, explosion and carbon monoxide poisoning.

“The regulations relevant to who should carry out work on gas appliances are unambiguous.

“As someone carrying out unregistered gas work, and allowing another person to undertake similar illegal work in his properties, Vispasp Sarkari put a number of the tenants, their families and friends, at serious risk of harm.”