Standing your ground

When Direct Line's little red phone came hurtling over the hill in 1985, few foresaw the revolution its arrival would herald. Not content with their gains in the personal lines market, direct writers are now hammering on the door of the commercial market and many are asking just how secure brokers are in this sector, particularly when it comes to insuring risks on property.

Brokers up and down the country have seen an increasing number of direct policies created for the small shop and office end