A rogue builder named Lee Slocombe stole £14,000 from Sheri Ingram and vanished, leaving her home in disarray. Slocombe, from Swansea, was jailed for six years in February for defrauding nine victims of £400,000. This was his latest conviction in a decade of offenses, which included targeting victims while on bail using a false name. His fraudulent activities began in 2015 when Ingram and her ex-partner hired him to renovate their home in Aberbeeg, Blaenau Gwent. After taking the money, he disappeared, claiming it was needed for an injury. The home was later restored by the Channel 5 program "Cowboy Builders," which highlights cases of unscrupulous tradespeople. In August, the UK government announced plans to create a database of trusted traders to protect homeowners from "cowboy builders," or unlicensed and dishonest tradespeople. The initiative aims to ensure that traders meet standards in customer service, transparency, and dispute resolution. While Ingram welcomed the plan, she questioned the incentive for tradespeople to join a voluntary scheme. Meanwhile, another couple, Barry and Shelley Sawkins from Flintshire, lost over £30,000 to rogue builder Christian Williams, who left their home extension unfinished. Williams, currently serving a two-year sentence, was found to have benefited £163,051.70 from his crimes but could only repay £1. Slocombe’s criminal record is extensive, with previous convictions including a 43-month jail term in 2015 for fraud and a five-year and five-month sentence in 2023 for defrauding seven families of £150,000. He has also been banned from building, maintenance, or gardening work in the UK for life and disqualified from being a company director until 2031. The total cost of his fraud, including rectification costs, is estimated at over £547,000 by Cardiff council. His fraudulent activities spanned 11 years and affected multiple victims across Cardiff, Bridgend, and Swansea. The government’s new initiative has drawn mixed reactions. The Federation of Master Builders, a trade association, has raised concerns about the voluntary nature of the scheme, arguing that regulation might be more effective. Minister for the future of work, Kate Dearden, acknowledged the potential benefits of a compulsory scheme but emphasized the need for a quick rollout. A government survey cited that over a quarter of people who carried out home improvements in the past 18 months faced issues, with over £10 billion lost in 2024 due to rogue traders. Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated the initiative aims to help families affected by unscrupulous tradespeople and put "the cowboys out of business."