Crest Nicholson site manager says gas leak in new flat is new home smell!

[Cracker]

A friend recently told me that one of their friends had moved into a Crest Nicholson flat in Epsom just before Christmas. Over Christmas they heard their neighbour's carbon monoxide detector going off and whilst the kitchen lights were on, no one was answering the door.

Concerned and worried he called 111 who dispatched the fire brigade. The firemen arrive and, just as they are about to break down the door, the owner arrives returning after her Christmas break.  She tells the firemen that she had smelled gas for over two weeks and the Crest Nicholson's site manager had visited her flat and told her it was a "new house smell" and it would go away.  Once she had unlocked the front door, they immediately notice a very strong smell of gas.  Before anyone can say anything she walks through the door and turns on the hall light switch!

Needless to say when she turned around she found the fire brigade crew on the floor and the watch commander unleashing a volley of expletives about sparks and gas leaks!  It transpires that the gas installation was faulty and the gas leak had been building up for a long time!

[New Home Expert]

Given this was a block of flats, any explosion could have been very serious.
You also have to question the ability if not the sanity of the site manager.
Finally, all gas installations are supposed to be tested so quite how this obviously serious gas leak was not detected will remain a mystery.

What will it take before housebuilders build new homes properly, test their installations properly, investigate customer complaints properly and employ site managers who know what they are doing? (or at least can tell the difference in smell of new paint from gas!) Does a block of flats have to explode or burn down perhaps with loss of life?
It is now time that the house builders that fail, should be de-registered by the new home warranty providers.
They won't sell many new homes without a warranty!