A BANKIE barman put lives at risk when he illegally diverted electricity from the national grid to his boozer. Joseph McCormack used copper wire to keep the power flowing into Chandlers after it was cut off.

The 60-year-old wanted to the keep the pints flowing at the Kilbowie Road establishment but last week at Dumbarton Sheriff Court it emerged his efforts could have ended in disaster. His solution was examined by an expert who said it could have sparked a fire.

Julie O'Hara, prosecuting, told the court the electricity supply had originally been cut off by British Gas on August 28 last year. However, on January 21, 2013, an engineer was asked to go to the pub to carry out an investigation into possible electricity by-pass. He spoke to McCormack who was working behind the bar and was taken to the fuse box within the pub.

The engineer noticed that electricity fuses within the supply box had been by-passed so he removed the by-pass and cut off all the electricity supply at the premises before reporting the matter to the police the next day.

But McCormack didn't give up there and when workers from West Dunbartonshire Council's licensing department drove past Chandlers at around 4pm on January 23 it was once again in full swing.

The council workers made a report to the police and around 4.30pm officers attended and found the bar open for business. Ms O'Hara told the court the police went to the bar and discovered the electricity had been by-passed with thick copper wires. An engineer was present and he examined the fuses and in his opinion the system posed an "immediate danger" of fire risk.

Representing himself at court, McCormack pled guilty to stealing electricity to the value of �9843.40. The sheriff warned McCormack he would have to consider a jail sentence and offered McCormack, of Possilpark, a chance to get legal advice, which he took. The case was deferred.