Insurance broker's safe warning

 An insurance broker has issued a warning to all businesses in the Welshpool area following the theft of a safe from a community shop in Llanfechain on Wednesday.

Thieves broke into the shop and took awqay the safe which contained a small amount of money but now Ian Hughes has warned that insurance companies have strong rules regarding safes and says the guidelines need to be followed.

"Safes vary enormously in quality, and any those weighing less than a ton are required by most insurers to be bolted to the floor with a suitable fixing (e.g Rawlbolts)," said Mr Hughes.

"Also, in virtually all commercial insurance policies, there is a clause requiring the keys to the safe to be removed from the property overnight. Please check your policy wording, as you may find an insurer may not pay out if you have not complied with the wording. This wording can usually be found in the Money section of a commercial policy.

"If you are buying a new safe, choose one with a combi lock rather than a key operated one, and preferably have a time delay also fitted. Always check the make & model with your Insurance broker before buying, as some safes are not acceptable to some insurers."