Gadget insurance warning after spike in half-term claims

Parents are being warned to make sure their gadgets are protected over the half-term school holidays, after an insurer saw a spike in accidental damage claims in October last year.

Aviva saw 14% more accidental damage home insurance claims during October 2015 than the yearly average, in homes where children were present.

Recent claims it has dealt with and paid out over include a boy squirting a water pistol into a TV, a boy sitting on a tablet and bending it, and a youngster spilling a cup of juice into a television during a children's party.

Another accidental damage claim was brought after a customer was painting her landing walls when her eight-year-old son was chased by a wasp. He kicked over the paint and trampled it down the stairs and into the lounge.

And in another case, a teenage girl tried to clean the carpet after spilling blackcurrant juice by using bleach instead of carpet cleaner.

The insurer suggested the claims surge around the month of October may reflect the effects of school holidays in colder months, when children are more likely to be playing indoors.

Simon Warsop, chief underwriting officer for Aviva General Insurance, said: "There have been some great advances in technology which have made gadgets lighter and more portable.

"But unfortunately, this can sometimes mean they're more susceptible to the bumps, spills and drops that come when children are around."