Protect against green “sticky” fingers

Gardens have become outside dining rooms, kitchen and playgrounds with all the equipment to match which still needs protecting warns American Express Insurance Services.

The gardening industry is worth £100m per week with some insurers predicting that one in seven garden items purchased will go missing. Homeowners need to check the small print of their insurance policies to determine if their garden furniture, ornaments and equipment are only protected if they are locked up overnight.

American Express Home Insurance covers homeowners for everything in their garden up to £1,000 as long as it is within the home boundaries and is not a living plant.

Joanne Field, Marketing Manager, American Express Insurance Services: “We recognise that it is not practical for homeowners to lock away their garden furniture and equipment each night. The best defence against thieves is a good insurance policy and we offer our customers comprehensive protection.”