Britons facing £1.38bn post-Halloween repair bill

Many UK adults will be left facing hefty repair bills after the Halloween and Bonfire Night celebrations.

New research by Santander has discovered nearly one-quarter of households will suffer some form of damage on October 31st and November 5th and the collective cost of these issues is £1.38 billion. 

This equates to an average of £227 per property and this is money many people may not have. If individuals do not have a rainy day fund, it could exacerbate existing issues with financial management. 

Firecrackers being thrown through letterboxes, stray fireworks hitting houses or gardens and eggs being thrown at windows are among the most common occurrences. However, one million people have been attacked using fireworks as weapons.

Mark Russell of Santander Insurance said: "Halloween and Bonfire Night are national celebrations that all families should be able to enjoy. However, many of the traditions we associate with these occasions such as lighting fireworks and trick or treating have the potential to be quite intimidating and damage homes."

He added there is also the problem that criminals will target unoccupied properties as there will already be quite a lot of activity on streets.

The north-east was found to be the region that fares worst during 'mischief week', as 32 per cent of homes suffer damage, followed by London (31 per cent), Yorkshire and the Humber (26 per cent) and Wales (25 per cent). 

While ten per cent have had their home egged, six per cent have seen garden plants destroyed and three per cent have hosted a house party that has gotten out of control.

Although Halloween or Bonfire Night might seem like the perfect opportunity for people to let their hair down and enjoy themselves, this study highlights how householders need to be on their guard.

The last thing hard-pressed consumers want to happen is to incur an expensive repair bill in the run-up to Christmas.

By Joe White