The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has expressed its sympathy for residents and business owners who have suffered damage to their properties in the London riots.

The Associations director of general insurance and health, Nick Starling, says: This is a time of enormous stress for them and their insurers will be on hand to answer any questions that they may have.

Mr Starling also advises the following:

Home insurance should cover people for fire, looting or damage caused.

Many policies will also cover people for accommodation costs if they can’t stay in their home.

Most commercial insurance policies will cover businesses for damage to their premises, including the interruption to their business as a result.

Some policies will also cover those businesses which are not damaged, but whose trade is affected by the aftermath.

It is important for people to contact their insurer to check what they are covered for and arrange for immediate help.

According to the ABI, it is too early for an estimate of costs and according to reports, the final bill for insurers could depend upon whether events are defined as riot under the Public Order Act 1986, which states the following:

Where 12 or more persons who are present together use or threaten unlawful violence for a common purpose and the conduct of them (taken together) is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety, each of the persons using unlawful violence for the common purpose is guilty of riot.

 

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