Leicestershire builder jailed over £377,000 fraud

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.”