People living in areas affected by this summer's floods are being offered "worthless" home insurance policies, according to the latest reports.

Yorkshire and Gloucestershire homeowners are being subjected to massive rises in premiums of as much as £10,000. Clauses, which stipulate that they will not receive a payout unless temporary flood defences are put up, are also being written into contracts, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

The rises are not only affecting householders who have already been hit by floods but are also being thrust upon thousands who were not affected by high water levels, but live in high-risk areas.

Insurance companies were inundated with 60,000 claims following the floods - and the estimated cost of the damage has been put as high as £3 billion.

The newspaper details the case of one pensioner, Sue Joesbury, who lives 50 metres from the river Severn in Wocester. Her street was flooded this summer and, to get a home insurance policy, she has had to accept an excess of £10,000 on flood damage.

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