Thousands of us use gas every day without a second thought about its potential dangers.

But as with any volatile substance, there is always a risk unless it is treated with caution.

So it makes sense that councils and private landlords, as well as private owners, have their properties checked regularly.

Yet 1,000 tenants in Oxford -- an eighth of the total -- are said to be refusing to allow council staff into their homes. What have they to hide?

We suspect some may be embarrassed to let inspectors in -- perhaps they have carried out alterations without permission, or have failed to keep their homes in good condition.

Others may see it as a case of council 'snooping'.

But they have clearly not weighed up the risks of having faulty gas equipment.

Unless boilers, cookers and fires are kept in proper order, there is always a possibility, however remote, of gas fumes escaping and even worse, explosion.

We agree that we are often too safety conscious these days. But with a commodity like gas, it is better to be safe than sorry.