Two men "checking gas leak"

[fleur]

My neighbour was visited today by two men wearing grey overalls,carrying a tool kit requesting access to check a leaking appliance,they turned on the gascooker and checked the boiler. Transco has had no reports of a leak here and it was not them.It was about 1pm and they may have had a white van with orange lettering.Just a warning to anyone else to doublecheck id.etc. perhaps as it seems a strange visit.

[Penguin68]

This is a classic way of gaining access to a property - the neighbour should check that nothing's missing - jewelry, keys etc.

There would be no way (I would think) of identifying a leaking appliance externally, apart from the smell of gas, which would be very evident to someone inside the house. The only (remote) possibility might be if the gas supply had been interrupted and they were checking that an appliance (which had been on when the gas was running) wasn't still on, but now unlit, after the supply was restored - i.e. checking to see if any appliance was leaking, rather than checking a leaking appliance. But if the case they should have explained that.

[KidKruger]

This happened to my Grandfather a couple of years ago, he was 94 at the time and let them in to check the kitchen 'water main' under his sink, they then asked him to turn the taps on upstairs in the bathroom to check the effect on flow.

It took him ages to get there needless to say. Then one of the two guys came upstairs to 'chwck' with him whilst the other had a good scout around downstairs. As my Grandad and the other chap came downstairs my Uncle turned up and noticing the front door open he stepped in quick and asked what was going on, the guys casually said they were from the 'water board' then one of them knocked him out and they both strolled off. My grandad still hadn't clicked what was going on.

It turned out there had been a lot of this activity in a few hours in the local few streets.

Don't open the door to them. Ask them what they want and 'check' your appliances yourself !!

[fleur]

Hopefully nothing was taken and nobody was hurt.The police have been told I believe.

[GinaG3]

I had a leaking appliance identified externally by the gas board. He probed our walls and identified leaking gas from our boiler. It can happen, all the same though, be very weary of who you let in. Someone should always show I.D or else don't let them in. Thats my rule.

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> This is a classic way of gaining access to a

> property - the neighbour should check that

> nothing's missing - jewelry, keys etc.

>

> There would be no way (I would think) of

> identifying a leaking appliance externally, apart

> from the smell of gas, which would be very evident

> to someone inside the house. The only (remote)

> possibility might be if the gas supply had been

> interrupted and they were checking that an

> appliance (which had been on when the gas was

> running) wasn't still on, but now unlit, after the

> supply was restored - i.e. checking to see if any

> appliance was leaking, rather than checking a

> leaking appliance. But if the case they should

> have explained that.

[Sue]

GinaG3 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> > Someone should always show I.D or else don't let

> them in. Thats my rule.

>

>

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Unfortunately it's very easy to forge an authentic looking ID card.

Only way to be sure is to phone the organisation they say they're from - and not from a number they give you themselves.