AN APPEAL has been launched for a Shanklin family who lost nearly £35,000 after a builder completed no work on their family home and then declared bankruptcy.

Patrick and Rhian Shelley wanted to increase the size of their property to allow their two young boys to have their own rooms.

In March, the couple used savings and remortgaged their home to start paying for materials, in good faith, following reassurances that work on their home would begin soon.

No work has taken place on the house since the pair paid out £34,182 for materials, and the builder has since declared bankruptcy, leaving Pat and Rhian with little hope of recovering the money they lost.

Rhian told the County Press: “There seems to be a growing expectation from companies that there must be this mutual agreement about massive deposits, and there is no protection for customers.

"This is what happened to us. We put our trust in somebody that they are going to be able to deliver a service that hasn’t then been able to come about due to bankruptcy.

“There is no protection for the consumer in terms of insurances and compensation once the person has gone bankrupt.

“No work and no materials have materialised, and it is very unlikely that we will be able to claim any of this money.”

A family friend has set up a GoFundMe page in the hopes Pat and Rhian may slowly get back into a position to be able to proceed with their renovations next year.

Ben Colenutt, a family friend who set up the GoFundMe, said: “Their trust and faith in humanity has been abused in the worst way. 

“I cannot bear to see them suffer in this way. Their dreams of renovating their home shattered, and while I know that they would never dream of asking anyone to do so, I have created this GoFundMe so their friends can, if they are able to do so in these difficult times, leave a little contribution in a pot to help Pat and Rhian.”

The family does not wish to name the builder, stating that everyone is hurt in this situation and that they are sure the builder knows they have messed up.

Rhian continued: “I don’t want to humiliate them. I’m sure they’re already feeling humiliated about the whole experience, and I’m really struggling ethically to do this, but I’ve lost nearly £40,000.”

To see the appeal, visit the GoFundMe page HERE.