Home insurance warning over trees

People who are planning to plant a tree in their garden should make sure that they consider the risk of subsidence, one home insurance firm has warned.

Neil Laird, Sainsbury's Home Insurance manager, explained that while trees are good for the environment, they can damage property .

He said: People intending to plant a tree in their garden this year should be very careful about which type of tree they plant and how far away from the property they plant.

Research by the home insurance firm has found that 1.1 million people plan to plant a willow tree in their garden, a piece of vegetation that needs to be grown at least 18 metres away from the house, he added.

People with smaller gardens should stick to holly, laurel or magnolia trees to avoid the risk of having to make a claim on their home insurance because of subsidence, he concluded.

Last month, Phil Loney, managing director of Lloyds TSB insurance, warned that people should make sure that their home insurance covers any expensive items of garden furniture they might have.