Sheri Ingram's home renovation went from dream project to nightmare when Lee Slocombe, a builder so rogue he could give the Cowboys in Westerns a run for their money, tore her home apart and vanished with £14,000.

In February, Slocombe, from Swansea, was jailed for six years after defrauding nine victims of £400,000 - a fitting capstone to a decade of dodgy dealings. The UK government, sensing a pattern, announced in August plans to protect homeowners from such 'cowboy builders' via a database of trusted traders. Ingram, from Cardiff, gave a cautious thumbs-up but wondered why any self-respecting tradesperson would voluntarily sign up to be monitored.

Another couple, scarred for life and £30,000 poorer, said the scheme would boost homeowner confidence - assuming, of course, anyone actually uses it.

Ingram's tale began in 2015 when she and her then-partner bought a house in Aberbeeg, Blaenau Gwent. They hired Slocombe, recommended by a serving police officer, to build an extension and open up the ground floor. For six weeks, he was responsive, then he 'disappeared off the face of the earth' with £14,000. When tracked down, he claimed an injury payout was coming and he'd finish the job later. Spoiler: he didn't.

Slocombe's offending spanned 11 years, including working under the alias Lee Lewis to hide his past, and even taking a fake gas engineer to properties, leaving them in a 'potentially lethal state'. His fraud cost nine victims more than £547,000 when repair costs were added. He was jailed for six years, banned from building work in the UK for life, and disqualified as a company director until 2031.

Ingram supports the government's plans as 'a good step in the right direction,' but notes the power imbalance between homeowners and builders. She doubts traders will sign up voluntarily, and she's not alone - the Federation of Master Builders also raised concerns. Chief executive Brian Berry called it 'a real concern that this is just another voluntary programme without regulation behind it.'

Meanwhile, Barry and Shelley Sawkins from Flintshire lost £30,000 to Christian Williams, who left their extension unfinished and water pouring in. Williams is serving two years, but the couple's extension remains incomplete three years on. They hope the government scheme will help others, though they're still stuck.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said unscrupulous tradespeople leave families with 'months of stress' and give decent builders a bad name. The government cited a survey indicating customers lost over £10bn in 2024 on home and garden work due to rogue traders.

Minister Kate Dearden said the scheme aims to act quickly, but if it were compulsory, it'd take longer. So, voluntary it is - for now. The cowboys may not be out of business just yet, but at least there's a new sheriff in town, even if he's armed with a voluntary sign-up sheet.