Expanding a couple’s dream home in the UK turns into a ‘nightmare’ and ends in arrest World News –

What started as a routine home extension for a couple in the UK turned into what they later described as a “nightmare”, resulting in their home being destroyed and them briefly being held in police custody.Rob and Lucy Davies, a couple from Basildon in Essex, appointed Steve Figg to build a single-storey extension, expecting the work to be completed within 12 weeks. Instead, the project continued for several months and left their home in a dangerous state. Fig, 35, had already received £44,000 but failed to finish the job. The situation escalated when he reported the couple to the police, accused them of harassment, and claimed he wanted to kill them, the BBC reported.The couple were arrested at their workplace and spent 22 hours in custody before being released. The police later issued an apology.“The only way I can describe what our house looked like was like a bomb site,” said Rob Davies, describing the condition of their home. Parts of the house were left exposed, including a large hole where the kitchen was supposed to be, with parts of the structure in danger of collapsing.Incomplete work also made daily life difficult. Mice entered through gaps in the walls, and it became difficult to heat the house.

Davis said the experience had a negative impact on their relationship, adding: “It was a complete nightmare… It tested our marriage greatly.”The couple said they had spent around £75,000 in total, including £28,000 repairing the damage and additional legal costs.An investigation by Basildon Council’s Building Control Team later found multiple breaches of regulations. Figg, who ran Figg Construction Ltd, admitted 22 offenses and was ordered to pay £85,000 compensation.The BBC also found that the Davies family are not the only people affected. Other customers have made similar complaints, including allegations that their homes were left structurally unsafe. In one case, a woman said Vig damaged her garden office during a dispute over payment.Commenting on the experience, Davies said that Fig “masquerades as someone who can do all these things, but when you get below the surface, he’s unable.”The case highlights the risks homeowners can face when construction projects fail and raises broader concerns about oversight in small construction projects.