Cowboy builder tore my home apart and disappeared off the face of the Earth with £14k
A UK homeowner shares her experience of being defrauded by a 'cowboy builder' who abandoned her renovation project after taking £14,000. The government is introducing a voluntary database of trusted traders to protect consumers, though critics question the effectiveness of such schemes.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the significant financial and emotional impact of construction fraud and the ongoing debate over consumer protection regulations.
Image source, Sheri Ingram Image caption, "The power imbalance is just so big" between builders and homeowners, says Sheri Ingram
A rogue builder tore Sheri Ingram's home apart and "disappeared off the face of the Earth" with £14,000.
In February, Lee Slocombe, from Swansea, was jailed for six years after defrauding nine victims of £400,000 - with this his latest conviction in a decade of offending.
The UK government announced in August plans to give people greater protections against "cowboy builders" through a database of trusted traders.
Ingram, from Cardiff, welcomed it, but questioned where the incentive would be for tradespeople to sign up to the voluntary scheme.
Another couple who were "scarred for life" by a rogue trader who left them £30,000 out of pocket said it would give more confidence to homeowners.
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