Storm Arwen damage brings £80m claims, insurer says

Storm Arwen brought down power lines and trees when it hit in November

Damage following Storm Arwen has resulted in £80m of claims, according to one insurance company.

The storm, in November, brought winds of almost 100mph and led to widespread damage, disruption and power cuts across the North East and Cumbria.

NFU Mutual, which insures farms and rural homes, said 8,000 customers have made a claim, with repairs ongoing.

It comes as walkers in Northumberland are being warned that damaged and fallen trees continue to pose a danger.

The county council said areas particularly badly hit, including Kielder Water and Forest Park, could still be a risk as Forestry England crews work to clear affected areas.

Sites such as Simonside, Holystone and Thrunton Woods remain closed to the public due to the "sheer scale" of the damage caused.

The advice was issued during the Easter break, with people expected to travel to the area.

"The devastation caused by the winter storms, particularly Arwen, was always going to take a long time to resolve," said Northumberland councillor John Riddle.

"There are still very real dangers presented by damaged or fallen trees and some areas have heavy machinery moving around where teams are clearing sites."

Dubbed the "worst storm in over 20 years", Arwen knocked out power supplies to 240,0000 properties, with some having to wait almost two weeks for it to be restored.

One firm says about 8,000 of its customer made a claim

About one million trees were also brought down due to the winds, with the Forestry Commission reporting it could take up to one year to finish the clear-up.

Sunderland housing association Gentoo said in March it could cost up to £2m to fix damage caused by storms Arwen and Malik, which happened in January.

The bulk of repairs has been to fences and roofs damaged by the storms.

Accountancy firm PWC has estimated total insurance losses could be up to £300m.