Home insurance warning over school bags

A child's school bag could contain items to a higher value than parents realise, potentially resulting in a home insurance nightmare, one expert has warned.

Home insurance provider esure.com said that today's kids can carry as much as £265 around with them every day, with objects such as mobile phones, designer trainers, mp3 players , watches and handheld games all stored in their bags.

However, this could be a far greater if the child plays a musical instrument, with clarinets coming it at over £500, said the company, something that may not even be covered on a home insurance policy if the right level of cover is not in place.

Nikki Sellers, head of home insurance at esure.com, commented: With the average bag at £265 it's crucial to ensure that the valuables being carried around in school bags are not only insured but, if possible, kept away from school.

The company said that parents may need to add personal possessions away from the home cover to their home insurance policies.

Halifax recently advised festival-goers that such cover could prevent them from being out of pocket if they are the victims of theft at an event.