UK housebuilding plans fall down on lack of bricks and bricklayers

Federation of Master Builders puts dearth of supplies and tradespeople down to kilns being mothballed and workers laid off during recent recession. An FMB survey found bricklayers were hardest to recruit but it was also difficult to find carpenters and joiners, supervisors and plumbers.

Increasing shortages of bricklayers and bricks threaten to undermine ambitious housebuilding plans laid out by politicians ahead of the election, a leading construction industry group has warned.

Brookings men to serve fours years for stealing construction equipment

BROOKINGS, S.D. A father and his future son-in-law in eastern South Dakota will serve four years in prison for stealing and then selling construction equipment.
The Brookings Register reports that a circuit judge gave 25-year-old Daniel Roberts and his future father-in-law, 43-year-old Larry Paxton, eight-year prison terms with half of the time suspended. The men earlier pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft.
Authorities say the men stole two trailers from businessmen in Brookings in December and two spools of wire belonging to Brookings Municipal Utilities. The Brookings County men admitted to cutting one of the trailers and selling the aluminum pieces for scrap. The wire was sold for scrap, too.

The men were ordered to pay over $4,000 in restitution.
Other charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
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