A London building company has been shut down by the High Court after an Insolvency Service investigation into unfinished home improvements and customer payments for products that were never supplied.
Royal Lofts & Extensions Ltd was wound up in the public interest on 20 October 2026. The Insolvency Service said invoices directed customers to pay the personal bank account of the company’s sole director, Dean Marlowe, rather than the business account.
Customers describe unfinished work and missing goods
According to the Insolvency Service announcement published on 26 October, one customer paid £51,612 into Marlowe’s personal account in 2024 and alleged that some of the agreed work was only partly completed.
A second customer told investigators they had paid £4,560 in 2024 for bifold doors and windows that were never supplied. The customer said the company could no longer be contacted after receiving the payment.
Investigators found that invoices issued to both customers instructed them to pay Marlowe personally. The service said it could not establish how those payments were recorded in the company’s accounts.
The investigation also found no known valid insurance for work undertaken between June and September 2024, despite customers being given assurances about insurance. Complaints had been made to the Insolvency Service, Companies House, Action Fraud and Citizens Advice.
Nearly £225,000 entered company bank account
The company’s bank records showed receipts of approximately £224,596, followed by withdrawals totalling roughly the same amount, leaving a nil balance.
According to investigators, almost half of the money received was paid to or withdrawn by Marlowe or people sharing his surname within days of receipt. No explanation for those transactions was provided to investigators.
The Insolvency Service said no accounting records were supplied despite requests, limiting its ability to establish the full extent of the company’s activities and financial position. It also said neither the company nor Marlowe responded to repeated attempts to make contact.
These are findings reported by the Insolvency Service, alongside allegations made by customers. The winding-up order is a civil company-closure measure, not a criminal conviction of Marlowe.
High Court orders closure in the public interest
The High Court in London wound up Royal Lofts & Extensions Ltd under section 124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 on 20 October. The company, number 14865577, was incorporated on 12 May 2023 and has a registered office at Shelton Street, London.
Insolvency Service Chief Investigator Cheryl Lambert said customers had placed their trust in the business to carry out expensive building work which appeared not to have been finished, while complaints apparently went unanswered.
Lambert said the closure was in the public interest to prevent further harm to customers.
The company’s Companies House listing provides its corporate records. A company’s public-register status may take time to reflect a recent court order.
What can affected customers do?
Anyone with enquiries about the company’s affairs has been directed by the Insolvency Service to the Official Receiver’s Public Interest Unit at PIU.OR@insolvency.gov.uk.
Customers who are owed money should keep contracts, invoices, proof of payments and correspondence. They can ask the Official Receiver about registering as a creditor. Being listed as a creditor does not guarantee repayment: recovery depends on the assets available and the applicable order of payments.
The government’s guidance for customers of insolvent companies also explains that people who paid by credit card may be able to seek assistance from their card provider, depending on their circumstances.
For anyone commissioning building work, Citizens Advice explains what to do when a trader fails to carry out agreed work. Written terms, documented staged payments and checking who is receiving the money can help reduce the risk of disputes.
