Home insurance claims expected to rise by 270% on Halloween, Axa Insurance claims

Halloween is meant to be a bit of harmless fun, but according to insurers 31 October is also the worst day of the year for malicious damage to your home.

House insurance claims are expected to rise by 270% on Halloween, according to Axa Insurance, while Saga claims 3.6 million homeowners will face damage to their properties as some revellers go too far with nasty pranks aiming to deliberately cause damage.

Claims submitted last year on Halloween included broken windows, theft, and damage caused to paintwork by broken eggs. Last year, 15% of 2,044 people questioned by Saga said their house had been egged or flour-bombed on Halloween.

Damage caused to your property by an unknown third party is covered under your home insurance policy, but you should still be vigilant, according to Nick Kidd, head of household insurance at Axa.

“Any sort of damage caused to another person’s property is not only antisocial but also a criminal offence,” Kidd said. “And while insurance can pick up the cost it can’t deal with the emotional trauma.”

It is not just Halloween that has insurers on standby: bonfire night (5 November) is also notorious for malicious damage claims, many the result of firecrackers being pushed through letterboxes.

Kidd said: “Although it is difficult to avoid someone putting something through the letterbox, people should take extra care to ensure windows and doors are locked, garden gates are secured and outbuildings, such as garages and sheds, are locked.”

Axa said that following bonfire night last year the average claim for damage caused by a firework or firecracker pushed through a letterbox was £1,000.

Many people said they turned their lights off and pretended to be out to avoid answering the door to trick or treaters, but police and local councils say it is more effective to display a “No trick or treat” sign in the porch or front window. Many councils and local police stations have printable posters for homeowners to download on their websites.

Police advise homeowners not to open doors to trick or treaters if they feel intimidated by their presence, and to phone 999 should there be any disturbances or incidents outside or on their property.

<

• Mohammed Patel charged £500 a time to stage ‘accidents’
• Office workers noticed so many crashes at roundabout

After dozens of unsuccessful attempts, Mohammed Patel might have been reasonably expected to navigate his car safely around the Eden Point roundabout on the A34 in Stockport.

Yet, to the growing incredulity of staff across the road at the offices of Bovis Homes, the same driver managed to get involved in low-speed crashes again and again at the same spot as he inexplicably slammed his brakes on, leaving the helpless driver behind to hit his car.

Today, a court heard the real explanation for the 24-year-old’s 93 separate smashes – a fraud that cost the insurance industry £1.6m.

Patel charged people £500 a time so he could cause an accident, pretend they were in the vehicle, and allow them to benefit by claiming compensation for injuries, such as whiplash, damage to the vehicle, a hire car, and storage of the damaged vehicle. The court heard that insurance claims cost an average £17,000 per incident.

Greater Manchester police said Patel targeted the area as it was wealthy and vehicles were likely to be expensive and insured. Unfortunately for him, office workers at Bovis became suspicious.

When he caused two crashes on the roundabout within an hour staff secretly photographed the aftermath. Insurance companies carried out inquiries and passed on their findings to the police.

Today in Manchester Patel was jailed for four and a half years and banned from driving for three and a half years. The court was told he spent the money on expensive holidays and cars for himself and his unemployed girlfriend.
Judge Bernard Lever told Patel it was not a victimless crime. “The victim may have been an elderly person, a person with a heart condition, a person of a nervous disposition.”

Van driver Kevin Mair, 30, of Audley, Staffordshire, hit a Toyota Yaris driven by Patel on the roundabout.

“I pulled over and got out and said: ‘Why did you stop?’ and the driver said: ‘Didn’t you see the motorbike?’ It was a bit comical because the passenger and driver got out of the car holding their necks and saying they were in pain. Most people know whiplash is not instantaneous.”

He said the driver’s details were neatly written out and “it was as if it was all scripted”.

Patel, from Bolton, admitted conspiracy to defraud, six dangerous driving charges and four of driving while disqualified.

A number of other defendants, who have been convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud, are awaiting sentence.