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Abbey counts cost of young home-wreckers

Children causing accidental damage at home cost parents £68 million a year - making it harder for them to pay off debt.

According to a new poll from home insurance provider Abbey, 73 per cent of UK families have had at least one item destroyed in this way.

When home insurance claims for the accidents were added up, around one in eight parents of five to ten-year-olds were found to have claimed for the damage.

Young adolescents were found to be even more destructive, with one in six parents claiming.

Commenting, head of Abbey Insurance Lloyd Wilson said: "Although it can be expected that children will clumsily damage household items, the cost of replacing damaged goods can come as a nasty shock.

"It's worth making sure your insurance policy covers every item in your home for accidental damage."

The survey also found that the most destructive children overall were in the north east - where one in five parents claimed that "priceless possessions" of theirs had been damaged or destroyed.

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