Halifax: Check home insurance covers theft at picnics

Picnicking Brits must be wary of thieves this summer and check their home insurance covers theft outside of their home, a financial services company has warned.

Halifax Home Insurance has found that 20 million picnics will take place in the UK over the next two months with Brits taking £1.5 billion worth of possessions with them.

Senior manager of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance Vicky Emmott commented that picnickers risk a day out being ruined if they leave possessions unguarded and open to opportunistic thieves.

It’s not just the cost of replacing a hamper - it’s all the other accessories that we take with us on picnics such as phones , iPods , cameras and wallets, she remarked.

Homeowners should check that their home insurance policy covers incidents to goods outside the house, Halifax has advised.

The most popular items to be stolen are mobile phones , wallets and cameras, research has revealed. Furthermore, 60 per cent of thefts happen when items are left unattended.

Homeowners were warned recently by Halifax that home insurance claims for accidental damage increases over the summer, as bored children can run riot in the family home.