Insurer Warns on Children Damaging Homes

School children are wreaking havoc with electrical gadgets in and around the home, having caused an estimated £0.5 billion worth of damage in houses throughout the UK, it has been revealed.

According to research by Sheila's Wheels, for 20 percent of parents the damage has been so bad that they have ended up claiming through their home insurance.

Although irksome accident-prone children are in the minority this is no isolated problem. Around one quarter of children are thought to have left household appliances in need of repair, with mum and dad's beloved DVD players receiving the lion's share of the knocks having been damaged in 43 per cent of homes.

Jackie Brown, spokesperson for Sheila's Wheels home insurance, remarked: "School holidays are a prime time for breakages as bored kids can wreak havoc at home - potentially causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

"That is why accidental damage is so important for families. If the Wii controller slips out of your hand or juice gets spilt down the TV there won't be a hefty bill to repair the damage or buy a replacement."

Indeed, the average child is expected to cause around £183 worth of damage to appliances, yet despite this fact, nearly 17 per cent of parents remain do not have home contents insurance.