A LOCAL authority has come under fire for failing to comply with gas safety regulations.

Chester-le-Street District Council, which acts as landlord for 5,600 council houses in the area, was criticised in a scathing Audit Commission report published last week.

Inspectors said the council needed to 'undertake an urgent, full review of its gas servicing procedures to ensure full compliance with the Gas Safety Regulations.'

Council bosses, reeling from the report's wide-ranging criticism of its general housing department, have refuted the findings.

The report holds up the council for:

Employing a Housing Team with no experience or training with gas related issues.

Failing to promote safety checks on gas appliances to tenants.

Failing to develop a 'comprehensive and formalised' gas servicing policy.

Relying on forced entry into homes to check their appliances when they are out.

Carrying out inadequate checks of random gas certificates.

The campaign group CO-Gas Safety say the Audit Commission's findings reflect a worrying trend.

Group president Stephanie Trotter said: "I am extremely concerned whenever I hear about a local authority that has failed to carry out its duty properly.

"It's particularly worrying because it tends to be private landlords who find themselves in the frame. People assume that council houses are safer."

Out of the 271 CO deaths between 1995 and 2000, 47 occurred while the victim lived in council housing.

The Northern Echo launched its Silent Killer campaign following the death if 19-year-old student Anne Brennan from carbon monoxide poisoning while in rented accommodation at Durham University.

Brian O'Doherty, the council's newly-appointed housing services manager, said the Audit Commission inspectors had not explained their criticisms properly.

He added: "We refute some of their criticisms. They say we have failed to comply with gas safety regulations, yet all our properties have had their gas boilers serviced to CORGI standards within the last 12 months.

"We do not see any major problems with our procedures. Our supervisors follow up the inspections made by CORGI registered experts.

"We will soon include safety leaflets with tenants' news letters."

Read more about the Silent Killer campaign here.