Extreme weather causes flooding and damage to homes

Thousands of people across the country have been affected by damage to their homes caused by the recent extreme weather conditions, an insurance firm said today.

The number of customers calling the Lloyds TSB Insurance call centre increased by 40 per cent compared with two weeks ago, a spokesman said.

Since the weekend, almost 60 per cent of claims registered with the firm have been weather-related, compared with a typical rate of just 10 per cent.

Phil Loney, the firm's managing director, said: "The impact of these harsh weather conditions, particularly because they hit during the run up to Christmas, has called for swift action on our part to ensure our customers don't suffer.

"With the massive increase in calls we're experiencing, we have drafted in all available staff to ensure all hands are on deck."

In York, flood warnings on riverside footpaths and at St George's Fields in Bishopthorpe where the River Ouse burst its banks were two of 14 that remained in place across the country today.