'A badger destroyed my shed' tops list of Britain's most bizarre insurance claims last year

A homeowner whose shed was destroyed by a badger topped a list of Britain’s most bizarre insurance claims made last year.

The 71-year-old woman, from Bath, Somerset, received a pay-out after locking a badger in her shed, which then ate a hole in the wall to escape.

In another odd claim, one family received a whopping £8,000 after a pigeon flew down their chimney and damaged the carpet, ornaments and sofas.

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Elsewhere, a seven-month-old puppy in Cardiff caused £953 of damage when he pinched a bottle of oil from the kitchen, dragged it to the living room and chewed while sat on the couch.

In Exeter, Devon, a squirrel smashed a window of an 86-year-old woman after it became stuck in her garage.

But animals weren't the only things behind bizarre claims - one 62-year-old received £469 after a gust of wind blew his glasses off his face and were run over by a car.

A proud grandfather in Guildford, Essex, received a new £437 laptop after holding up his baby grandson to show a friend on Skype - who then vomited all over the computer.

The list of bizarre insurance claims was compiled by specialist insurance provider RIAS from the almost 400,000 successful cases in 2012-13.

Peter Corfield, Managing Director at RIAS says: 'While we go out of our way to ensure that our homes and gardens are safe and secure, sometimes it's the most unlikely events that can end up causing real damage.

'Not all claims are straightforward and sometimes we do see some bizarre scenarios.

'But, saying that, babies and animals are often the culprits.'