WRONG TYPE OF STORM

After raging winds and torrential rain tore a hole in the roof, sending water pouring into his home, Bryan Rosten expected his house insurance policy to cover the repairs. But when he and his wife Elaine put in their claim, they were shocked to be told by their insurers that the weather was not bad enough to qualify for storm damage. Lloyds TSB rejected the claim on the grounds that the wind speed in the area had been recorded at 29 knots, five knots below the 34 knots needed before any such claim could be considered. The rejection has left the Rostens facing a bill of more than £1,000 to pay for repairs to the roof, ceiling and furnishings at their three-bedroom home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The couple are angry that after paying for insurance for years, they were turned down when they came to make a claim. Mr Rosten said, "It was a shock when the water started to pour through the ceiling, but I got an even bigger shock when I called the claims centre and was told they wouldn't pay out a penny because the wind wasn't strong enough to be classed as a storm. It's ridiculous. It certainly looked like a storm to me and the wind was certainly strong enough to damage the lead flashing. Water came pouring into one of the bedrooms upstairs and has left a big stain on the carpet. It seems they are just trying to wriggle out of paying what I consider is a genuine claim."

Mrs Rosten added, "We've paid house insurance of £260 a year for years. But when you need to make a claim they come out with these incredible excuses." More than an inch of rain fell on the night of the 'storm', causing flash floods in the area. At nearby RAF Wattisham a wind speed of 33 knots was recorded, just one knot below the limit set by the insurance company. A spokesman for Lloyds TSB said it used the Met Office's storm definition of 34 knots as a guideline when considering claims but added that other factors were taken into consideration.

He said the company also rejected the Rostens' claim because a surveyor had found evidence that the roof may have already been damaged before the bad weather. "There were signs that the roof had been repaired previously and there was a fault with the lead flashing," he added. The Rostens admit they have had previous problems with the roof but insist that at the time of the bad weather there was nothing wrong with it. Mr Rosten added, "Just because something has been fixed in the past does not mean it can't then be damaged by a storm. I am disgusted at their attitude and I will be taking my case to the insurance ombudsman." (Source: Mail on Sunday)