Just preparing to board the ceiling in living room and noticed a random earth wire that appears to run out to the gas mains, dangling loose.

This combination spells immediate death in my eyes; can I rectify this, or get a sparky in (previous one was pretty unreliable)

Ta..

Run. Away.
😀

It looks like the “tail” (the bit of tin with screws in) has fallen off the Copper pipe. Re connect it.
edit – I would reconnect it somewhere it can be seen/inspected.
Boiler inlet ? bath taps?

Your water and gas pipes should be bonded to the earth on your meter. Previously pretty much all metal pipes were bonded but these days it’s just those 2. That connection may or may not be needed but it’s pretty essential that the cable from the gas pipe connects to earth on the meter

Traced earth from fuse box and ended up here; masses of earth wire that goes nowhere and another earth that appears to go somewhere.

One thing after a ******* another in this ******* house!

I’ll try to get a new sparky; cheers.

Bummer . Looks like your spark “forgot” to do your earth bonding. Or left old stuff up there..(doesn’t look old though)
Follow Nick’s drawing and you’ll be right.