Rob and Lucy Davis’ dream home extension turns into “nightmare”, ending in arrests/Image: BBC

What started as a routine home extension for a UK couple later turned into a “nightmare” that left their home damaged and both of them in police custody for some time.Rob and Lucy Davies, a couple from Basildon, Essex, hired Steve Figg to build a single-storey extension, expecting the work to be completed within 12 weeks. Instead, the project dragged on for months and their home was left in a dangerous condition. Figg, 35, had already taken £44,000 but failed to complete the job. The situation worsened when he reported the couple to police, accusing them of harassment and claiming he wanted to kill them, the BBC reports.The couple were arrested at their workplaces and spent 22 hours in custody before being released. Later the police issued an apology.Describing the condition of his home, Rob Davies said: “The only way I could tell was that our house looked like a bomb site,” with parts of the property left open, including a large hole where the kitchen should have been, putting parts of the structure at risk of collapse.Incomplete work has made even daily life difficult. Rats entered through cracks in the walls and it became difficult to keep the house warm. Davis said the experience deeply affected their relationship, saying, “It was an absolute nightmare… It tested our marriage.”The couple said they 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 numerous breaches of regulations. Figg, who runs Figg Construction Ltd, admitted 22 breaches and was ordered to pay £85,000 in compensation.The BBC also found that Davis was not the only one affected. Other customers have also come forward with similar complaints, including claims that their homes were left structurally unsafe. In one case, a woman said Figg damaged her garden office during a dispute over payment.Reflecting on the experience, Davis said that Feig “pretends to be a guy who can do all these things, but, when you get beneath the surface, he’s incapable.”The case highlights the risks that homeowners can face when construction projects go awry and raises broader concerns about oversight in small building projects.