Royal Lofts & Extensions wound up after UK probe into unfinished building work

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Royal Lofts shut after probe

Highlights

Royal Lofts & Extensions Ltd was wound up after an Insolvency Service investigation found customers paid over £56,000 in 2024 for unfinished or undelivered work.
Invoices directed at least £51,612 in customer payments to director Dean Marlowe’s personal bank account, with no valid insurance or response to customer complaints between June and September 2024.
Bank analysis revealed £224,596 received and withdrawn to nil balance, with nearly half paid to Marlowe or relatives, and no accounting records provided, raising consumer-protection concerns in the building sector.

Investigation findings and company shutdown

As reported by GOV.UK, Royal Lofts & Extensions Ltd has been wound up following an Insolvency Service investigation into complaints over unfinished building work, undelivered goods and the handling of customer payments. The company was registered in London and had previously been registered in Essex.

Investigators said one customer paid £51,612 in 2024 into a personal account belonging to sole director Dean Marlowe and later alleged that some of the work was only partially completed. Another customer told the investigation they paid £4,560 in 2024 for bifold doors and windows that were never supplied, after which the company became uncontactable.

The Insolvency Service said invoices sent to both customers directed payment to Marlowe's personal bank account rather than the company's account, and investigators were unable to establish how those payments were recorded in company accounts. It also said there was no known valid insurance for work carried out between June and September 2024, despite assurances given to customers, and neither the company nor Marlowe responded to repeated contact attempts.

Financial concerns and wider consumer impact

Analysis of the company's bank account identified receipts of about £224,596 and withdrawals of roughly the same amount, leaving a nil balance. Investigators said almost half of the money received was paid to, or withdrawn by, Marlowe or people sharing his surname within days, with no explanation provided for those transactions.

No accounting records were provided despite requests, preventing investigators from determining the full scale of the company's trading activity and financial position. Customers had also made complaints to Companies House, Action Fraud and Citizens Advice, underlining broader concerns about consumer protection in the residential building sector.

In a statement, Insolvency Service chief investigator Cheryl Lambert said the allegations raised serious concerns and that customers appeared to have trusted the company with extensive and expensive works that were not completed while complaints were ignored. She said closing the company was in the public interest to prevent further harm to customers, while enquiries on its affairs are being directed to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit.

Our earlier article on Menara Asia’s Menarabena construction platform in Malaysia explained how the industry is using digital tools to connect contractors with building material suppliers while centralising certification and compliance documentation. We noted that the initiative aims to strengthen quality control and improve supply-chain efficiency without replacing existing approvals, reflecting broader efforts to raise standards and transparency across construction projects.

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