Catastrophic subsidence claims avoided following mild weather

Subsidence claims are slightly up on average, but industry insiders do not expect a catastrophic year to match 2003.

In the summer there was a belief in the industry that the previous dry winter would result in a rash of subsidence claims, but a number of factors appear to have prevented this from happening.

Harry Rule, property claims manager at Allianz Cornhill, said the insurer's subsidence claims were 'well below' the levels of 2003. He explained: "The difference to 2003 is that while 2005