Celebrating students could bring the house down

As A Level and GCSE results loom and students look to celebrate over the coming weeks, parents should be prepared for impromptu celebration parties as new Post Office Home Insurance research has revealed that more than one in 10 (11 per cent) under 18 year olds have hosted a house party without their parents' permission.

According to the Post Office, 35 per cent of under 18 year olds have hosted a party for their friends in their parents' home, but almost a third of these parties (11 per cent) were held without their parents' knowledge.

Unfortunately, even being in the know doesn't reduce all the risks. Twenty seven per cent of parents whose children have hosted a house party have had valued possessions broken. A further one in ten (eight per cent) have had valuables stolen.

With no bouncer on the door and in some cases no parents on patrol, all house parties can also be vulnerable to unexpected guests. Fifteen per cent of all house party hosts, regardless of their age, have encountered gatecrashers; the vast majority of these hosts (69 per cent) believe this was through party details being leaked by their friends.

Party plans being leaked through social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter is also contributing to gatecrashing, with one in twenty (four per cent) hosts suspecting their unwelcomed guests learnt of the party online.

Even when friends don't pass on party information to others, house parties still aren't completely safe from unwelcome guests, with over one in ten (13 per cent) of hosts believing gatecrashers just turned up after seeing the party from outside.

Gerry Barrett, Head of Post Office Home Insurance, said: "A level and GCSE students will understandably want to celebrate to mark their exam results this summer, so the best way for parents to relax is to make sure they are prepared.

"Try to store away as many valuable items as possible to prevent them from being accidently broken and make sure you get a true idea of numbers beforehand. Checking that you have adequate home insurance in place will also help to cover you in the event the worst happens and any valuables are broken. Finally, any would-be student hosts out there should always remember to seek their parent's permission first. Not only can this avoid the party getting out of hand, it also means that parents don't have to find out the hard way through unexplained broken items or ruined carpets."

To find out more about Post Office Home Insurance, visit postoffice.co.uk.