Rogue builder jailed over £377,000 fraud

A builder who defrauded 10 victims out of more than £377,000 in a "sustained and deliberate" effort has been jailed.

Colin Ridley, 72, accepted large sums of money for building projects between 2019 and 2023 that were "poorly completed, significantly delayed or never finished", Leicestershire County Council said.

Several homeowners were forced to spend thousands of pounds correcting defective work, while two properties required "major demolition and complete reconstruction", the authority added.

Ridley, of Charnwood Road, Anstey, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison at Leicester Crown Court on Friday after previously admitting one count of participating in a fraudulent business.

He was also made subject to a criminal behaviour order preventing him from working as a builder.

An investigation by Leicestershire County Council trading standards began after a complaint about "dangerous and substandard work" carried out on a domestic extension.

Further inquiries found a pattern of similar complaints from householders across Desford, Glenfield, Leicester, Blaby and Derby, the authority said.

It added victims reported "repeated excuses" for lengthy absences from sites, demands for additional payments beyond agreed quotations and a refusal to address complaints or repay money owed.

The investigation also found Ridley pressured victims into withdrawing cash to pay him, the council said, while evidence showed he accepted payments intended for materials and subcontractors but failed to pass the money on.

In total, 10 victims suffered financial losses of £377,844, excluding the "significant costs of rebuilding and remedial work".

Trading standards officers said they also discovered recurring defects across multiple projects, including "inadequate foundations, uneven floors, poor brickwork, faulty roofing, substandard joinery and repeated failures to follow architects' plans".

Gary Connors, head of regulatory services at the county council, said: "Colin Ridley's actions caused significant financial loss, distress and disruption to families who simply wanted building work carried out on their homes.

"Instead, they were left with unfinished projects, dangerous defects and, in some cases, the enormous expense of having to rebuild entirely.

"This was a sustained and deliberate fraud carried out over a number of years, with victims repeatedly misled and pressured into making further payments while little or no meaningful progress was made to their homes."

Listen to BBC Radio Leicester on Sounds and follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.