Home insurance warning over storms

People should make sure their property is prepared for stormy weather, one home insurance firm has warned.

According to Halifax Home Insurance, it handled wind-related claims worth a total of £17 million last year.

David Rochester, spokesperson for the firm, explained that although home insurance policies cover such incidents, people should try to avoid them in the first place.

With home emergencies, prevention is certainly better than the cure, and much of the damage could be avoided if householders spent a small amount of time preparing for the bad weather, he said.

Home insurance customers should check the condition of their roof, clean the gutters and secure any loose items outside of the house, Mr Rochester suggested.

Last week, Andrew Lowe, head of Direct Line Home Insurance, warned that house fires are more likely to start in winter.

For this reason, people should make sure that they take steps to minimise any potential fire hazards in their property.