A couple paid a builder more than £40,000 for an extension which he never finished, leaving them with no front door.

Eastern Daily Press: June and David Stirckland from Chegrave paid builder Rowan Parker more than �40,000 for an extension. Windows were installed but the front door and porch window was not. Photo: June StricklandJune and David Stirckland from Chegrave paid builder Rowan Parker more than �40,000 for an extension. Windows were installed but the front door and porch window was not. Photo: June Strickland (Image: Archant)

Pensioners June and David Strickland hired Rowan Parker in 2018 to extend their bungalow in Chedgrave.

It was meant to take six months, but after 12 months of sporadic work he left them with a hole where their front door and porch window should have been, as well as missing radiators and a garden mess, they said.

They are the second set of customers to complain about paying Mr Parker for work which the Thurlton builder never completed.

He abandoned their project and put his company, SDR Building and Home Improvements Ltd, into liquidation in August 2019.

Eastern Daily Press: June and David Stirckland from Chegrave paid builder Rowan Parker more than £40,000 for an extension but the work was left unfinished. Photo: June StricklandJune and David Stirckland from Chegrave paid builder Rowan Parker more than £40,000 for an extension but the work was left unfinished. Photo: June Strickland (Image: Archant)

Mrs Strickland, 72, has calculated that they paid £3,000 for items which were never delivered by Mr Parker, including new radiators, bespoke doors and a porch window.

The pensioners then had to spend another £5,000 finishing their extension after he left, leaving them £8,000 out of pocket.

However when documents came through from SDR’s liquidators, they were listed as being owed just £800.

“He was still saying at the creditors’ meeting in August last year that he would finish the job, I just couldn’t believe it,” Mrs Strickland said.

Eastern Daily Press: The couple's front room in Chedgrave during the build. Photo: June StricklandThe couple's front room in Chedgrave during the build. Photo: June Strickland (Image: Archant)

“We don’t want anyone else to go through this with him because he comes across as a really likeable guy.

“Last year Dave was really ill with stress and this really affected both of us.”

In September 2018 the grandparents travelled to Canada for three weeks for their golden wedding anniversary, expecting to see the walls up and some progress on their return.

But when they came back no work had been done, they claimed.

Eastern Daily Press: They spent another �5,000 after Rowan Parker had left finishing the project. Photo: ArchantThey spent another �5,000 after Rowan Parker had left finishing the project. Photo: Archant (Image: Archant)

Mr Strickland, 75, a retired engineer, said: “We liked him and trusted him. Whenever he asked for money we paid him.”

Dick and Amanda Wolsey from Worlingham also gave SDR Building and Home Improvements money for work which was not done.

As reported in August, they paid £6000 in 2018 to repair drains at their home in Worlingham, but Mr Parker never started the project.

Mr Parker has not responded to requests for comment.

Eastern Daily Press: June and David Stirckland from Chegrave paid builder Rowan Parker more than £40,000 for an extension but the work was left unfinished. Photo: Facebook/Rowan ParkerJune and David Stirckland from Chegrave paid builder Rowan Parker more than £40,000 for an extension but the work was left unfinished. Photo: Facebook/Rowan Parker (Image: Archant)

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