Kids Cause Costly Holiday Accidents

Home insurance claims for accidental damage caused by children over the summer holiday period can cost millions of pounds, according to new research from Tesco.

The home insurance provider has revealed that children are responsible for £229 million worth of damage each year, with the majority of accidents at home taking place over the summer break.

Children and teenagers are responsible for 1.1 million household accidents year, with these ranging from spilt drinks on carpets and furniture to smashed ornaments and broken electronic equipment. This equates to 42 per cent of all accidents at home.

Adults are responsible for 33 per cent of and teenagers cause the least number of accidents at home, taking the blame for 21 per cent of incidents. However, the cost of the damage caused by teens was measured at £68 million.

"As the saying goes accidents do happen - and this research suggests many of us suffer financial loses on an annual basis," said Tesco's Paul Baxter. "What is worrying is that over four in ten of us don't cover ourselves for accidents in the home - leaving us at risk of being seriously out of pocket."