AN Eastleigh MP has expressed fears for the safety of Hampshire tenants.

Mike Thornton called for more to be done to protect those living in private rented accommodation and in a Westminster Hall debate, he urged the Government to make it a legal requirement that landlords provide electrical safety certificates.

Landlords currently do not have to certify the safety of electrics in privately rented properties, or prove when the electrics were last tested, unless they are registered Houses of Multiple Occupation. However, they are required to certify that gas installations are safe.

Mr Thornton said: “The Government must realise that the current laws are just not up to scratch. Electrical safety certificates should be mandatory in the same way Gas Safety Certificates are. Poor electrics in the home can lead to preventable tragedies, with many tenants unaware of any problem until it is too late.

Phil Buckle, director of the Electrical Safety Council, said: “Half of all fires in homes in Great Britain are caused by electricity and research suggests that private tenants are likely to be at greater risk of fire than residents in other housing sectors.

“Further research indicates that they also have a higher risk of electric shock than owner-occupiers.”