Sidcup firm Object Builders probed by Met Police and Action Fraud

Over the course of more than a month we spoke to former customers and contractors who claim to have been left out of pocket - some to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds.

To read all the stories in this series click here. 

Police have been asked to investigate a south London building firm after at least 19 people filed fraud complaints.

Customers who reported the company to City of London’s Action Fraud squad claim they paid more than £230,000 in deposits for building projects that were never delivered.

Instead, Object Limited (which traded as Object Builders) reportedly “ghosted” customers by shutting down its website, phone numbers and email addresses.

Some former contractors told Newsquest they too found themselves suddenly unable to contact the firm and were never paid their outstanding wages.

Nineteen people supplied Newsquest with crime reference numbers, which were verified as genuine by City of London Police.

At least two of their cases have since been referred to the Metropolitan Police Service for investigation.

Company director Robin Anthony Rudland, 58, did not respond to a letter left at the company’s previous registered address in Sidcup, nor a subsequent message left on the property’s voicemail.

Newsquest dialled 18 other phone numbers customers had been given for Object Builders. All were either disconnected or switched off. We left voicemails where possible, but nobody ever replied.

But in a video captured by a customer, Mr Rudland claimed he was not really in charge of Object Limited and had simply allowed his name to be used on paperwork.

“It’s nothing to do with me,” he claimed. “I’m just down as a name.”

Some customers have been reimbursed by their banks or credit card providers, but others remain out-of-pocket.

We heard from complainants in Bexley, Surrey, Newham and Brent. Others who made contact lived as far away as Gloucestershire, Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent.

But the biggest loss reported to Newsquest was on the firm’s doorstep.

Bexleyheath driving instructor Laxman Neupane showed us a receipt confirming he handed Object Limited £24,495 as a 50% deposit on a single-storey rear extension.

Bexleyheath driving instructor Laxman Neupane handed over almost £25,000 as a deposit on an extension. Then Object Builders shut down its website, and all its phone numbers and email addresses stopped working, he said. The Met is investigating his case (Image: Charles Thomson)

But the start date for the works came and went, then all the company’s phone numbers stopped working.

“That’s a whole year’s salary for me,” he said. “I’m under economic stress as well as mental stress.”

The firm was incorporated in 2020 by a Polish National who is listed at Companies House as a current or former director of almost 1,700 businesses, all registered to rented mailbox addresses in central London, Ipswich and Scotland.

It was described as “dormant” until May 2023, when Mr Rudland became the new director and changed the company address to one in Sidcup.

He later changed the address again, to an office block in Oxted.

On May 2, 2023, Mr Rudland also became the controlling shareholder of the company.

When Newsquest attended the Sidcup address, it was behind a locked gate and had no doorbell. All we could do was hand post a letter into an external mailbox, inviting Mr Rudland to comment.

We also posted a letter to the Oxted office using Royal Mail’s “signed for” service, but it was never delivered – presumably because nobody was there to sign for it.

Another business in the Oxted office block told us that Object Limited had left months ago.

Since then, they said, a procession of disgruntled customers had shown up looking for the firm, only to find that, like it’s website and phone numbers, its office had been vacated.

Robin Rudland became the director and owner of Object Limited in May 2023, changing its registered address to a Sidcup property linked to his family - but later denied he was really in charge (Image: Ray Mo)

More than 100 people have joined a Facebook group for affected customers and reported filing Action Fraud complaints. Their alleged losses total more than £1million.

But Action Fraud will only publicly comment on cases where complainants give written consent. Nineteen people gave written permission for police to discuss their cases with Newsquest.

“Action Fraud can confirm that it has received 19 reports, which have all been appropriately verified, that were made between 22 July 2024 and 8 August 2024,” said Action Fraud acting director Claire Webb.

“These are currently being assessed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) at the City of London Police.”

Two complainants have since received letters saying NFIB has referred their cases to the Metropolitan Police for further investigation.

Customers we spoke to found Object Builders through reputable sites like CheckATrade, Bark.com and Rated People. The firm’s website – since taken offline – was full of logos for trusted trade bodies.

But a number of trade bodies distanced themselves from the firm when questioned by Newsquest.

Confronted on camera by one customer, Mr Rudland said: “If you think I’ve done something wrong, call the police… I’m not going to get involved in a debate with you because it’s nothing to do with me, alright?”

He added: “If you feel like you’ve been done or whatever, if you feel that way – which is not the case, but I think it’s, everything’s just got out of hand, like – you’re just gonna have to go to the Old Bill. Just go to the police.”

However, he refused to tell the customer who really was in charge of the company, if not him, or how they could be contacted.

The Metropolitan Police stated: “An investigation is underway, relating to potential fraud. At this stage, no arrests have been made."