Trading Standards probe Weymouth building company
By Chris Taylor, on 12 May 2011
Trading Standards is investigating a Weymouth building company, after it left a guest house in such a state that it will cost £30,000 to repair.
The Dorset Echo reported that the owner's "dreams are in tatters" following the mess left behind by Weyland Construction Ltd at Melcombe Villa.
Now it has emerged that others have complained to Trading Standards about the company's shoddy workmanship and unfinished jobs.
Martin Lobo, director of Weyland Construction Ltd, placed the company into voluntary liquidation in March, owing more than £310,000 to creditors. He has since become director of a new firm, and locals are disgusted at his behaviour.
Trusted tradesmen should always be able to prove that they are financially stable and contactable at all times, unlike the case seen in Weymouth. Weyland Construction also left many such tradesmen being owed thousands of pounds as well as customers.
Keith Adams of JW Scaffolding, is owed £3,052 from Lobo's company after putting up the scaffolding at the guest house in question. He said: "The thing that annoys me is that if he was £300k in debt why did he take me for that job knowing he couldn't pay."
"When we found out it was a big shock to us as a local company. I can't believe in a town this size someone can be allowed to keep going," he added.
According to News In Bournemouth, Katy and Mick Finch, the owners of Melcombe Villa guest house claim that the incident has left them "close to a nervous breakdown."
Finch said: "It's just disgusting that a building company could get away with leaving our business in that state. We had water running down the walls, tradesman coming round who weren't qualified and in the end we have had to spend £30,000 to put it all right."
Ivan Hancock, divisional trading standards manager for Dorset County Council, confirmed that an investigation is underway, but could not specify when the case would be resolved. He said that the investigation concerned "more than one aspect to it including the conduct of individuals at the limited company."
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