Woman calls for financial help after storm damage

A woman from Cornwall is calling for financial help for people like her who have been affected by damage in the aftermath of Storm Goretti.

Jill Harsant, 79, who lives in Callestick, near Truro, said about 50 giant leylandii trees on her land had been completely uprooted - as well as many other smaller trees.

She said her insurance company, Howden Insurance, had told her it could not help until she could prove the trees had damaged outbuildings which she said were hidden beneath dense foliage.

The BBC has approached Howden Insurance for a response.

"We're talking about thousands, I haven't got thousands, I need help", said Mrs Harsant.

She said access to much of her smallholding, which is a former nursery, was limited due to large fallen trees, meaning she could not currently get an accurate picture of the extent of the damage.

She added: "They said I can't claim until I know the if the tractor shed or the container or the caravan are damaged."

Mrs Harsant said the giant leylandii which had fallen had also brought down a large number of trees in a Norway spruce plantation.

Mrs Harsant said she had reached out to a local tree surgeon to get a quote for clearing the trees.

She said: "Every time an act of god happens and insurers don't cover it, anyone who is suffering from that act of god, they either have to learn to live with it, or borrow the money."

"I may be nearly 80...but I'm a campaigner, I'm a fighter, I'm a survivor, and I'll run a campaign if I have to, to approach the government because it's not our fault, we haven't done anything to cause this," she added.

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