‘Sea flood risk’ 40 miles inland

A man living more than 40 miles from the coast has seen the cost of his home insurance soar because an official warning wrongly stated that his home was at risk of flooding from the sea.

The Environment Agency told Dave Kitson that he faced a 0.5 per cent chance of a sea flood next year at his home in Huntington, on the outskirts of York. His discovery came after he found that his home insurance premium was to more than double. His insurer said that the increase was because of a new flood-risk assessment for Huntington, which placed it at high risk.



As his property lies on high ground, half a mile from the nearest river, the Foss, Mr Kitson decided to make further inquiries. He was put in touch with the Environment Agency, which sent him a letter stating: “The property may be affected by an extreme flood from rivers and the sea.”

A spokeswoman for the agency admitted yesterday that it may have been overzealous in warning of a danger from the sea.