Bank Holiday DIY frenzy triggers surge in decorating disasters

Thousands of Britons devoting this Bank Holiday Monday to DIY are being urged to take extra care with their saws and step ladders, as Lloyds TSB Insurance predicts a 60 per cent surge in calls following the long weekend.

The insurer's records show that year after year, Bank Holidays trigger a hike in reports of accidental damage, as the DIY frenzy takes its toll. Figures for 2006 show that the number of calls shot up by 56 per cent following the May Bank Holiday - and this year the number could rise by almost two thirds (60 per cent).

With the increased number of calls, the number of claims rises too. Following the Bank Holiday weekend, accidental damage claims for May 2006 showed a 20 per cent increase on the previous month.

Examples of DIY disaster claims from haphazard home improvers over recent Bank Holidays have included:

Roll model: A toddler who, keen to follow in his dad's DIY footsteps, decided to practice rolling paint....onto the newly laid living room carpet.

Paws for thought: A dog that spent a little longer than planned in the bedroom, after it found itself with sticky feet on a newly varnished floor.

Floored: A man who crashed through his ceiling while trying to repair floorboards.

Drilling disaster: A customer who accidentally drilled through a gas pipe causing a nasty leak.

Cut up: A woman who sliced through her bedroom carpet with a Stanley knife.

Phil Loney, managing director, Lloyds TSB Insurance, said: "May Day Bank Holiday can spell disaster for DIYers. We're urging anyone who's getting out a paintbrush, drill or stepladder to be extremely careful. Unfortunately, sometimes accidents do happen and it's then that having the right insurance cover can prove invaluable".