An Oxfordshire gas fitting company which falsely claimed to be registered with the industry's safety body has escaped prosecution.

The company, which fits gas appliances, was discovered during a survey by Oxfordshire County Council's trading standards and neighbouring authorities.

More than 100 newspaper, Internet and Yellow Pages adverts for companies claiming to be members of either the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) or the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) were checked out by trading standards officers.

No cases of non-enrolment with NICEIC were discovered from the 40 adverts monitored but three incorrect claims of CORGI membership from 66 adverts were found - one of them being an Oxfordshire company.

Trading standards officer Tom Edwards refused to name the company, and would say only that it was based in the centre of the county.

Mr Edwards said a decision was taken not to prosecute the company because, although the company itself was not CORGI registered, the sub-contractors it was using were.

He said the company had been "advised" about future adverts, adding: "We were satisfied from a safety point of view that the stuff that was being installed was being fitted properly and safely."