Shoddy homes cost Bovis £3.5m more

DISGRACED housebuilder Bovis has set aside a further £3.5m to fix its shoddy homes and help owners, bringing the total it will pay in compensation to more than £10m.

Hundreds of buyers complained over unfinished driveways, dodgy wiring, badly painted rooms and other problems.

It first set aside £7m early this year to fix problems and yesterday bosses said the extra cash would mean it should be able to finish the work as soon as possible, as well as serve new buyers. It is believed no fresh problems have emerged.

The firm has been badly damaged by the scandal, which saw chief executive David Ritchie quit amid a profits warning. Bovis has slowed building rates to avoid similar problems.

Yesterday, bosses warned profits for the first half were hit by rising build costs and increased investment. New chief executive Greg Fitzgerald, 52, who took over in April, said he was confident he could turn the business around.