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Published:
March 4, 2009
Fire-hit Brean couple are
still waiting for insurance pay-out
A
Brean couple who lost their home in a devastating fire are still
waiting for their insurance company to pay them compensation more
than three months since the horror blaze.
 Burnham-On-Sea.com
broke the news last November
that a devastating fire had swept through a wooden chalet owned
by Brean beach warden Ron Sharrard and his wife Angela.
Fire
crews from across the county tackled the blaze, pictured here,
but they could not save the property or the couple's two Yorkshire
Terriers inside.
This
week, Ron told Burnham-On-Sea.com that he and his wife are still
waiting for insurance funding.
"We've
not been paid a penny yet despite spending many days on the phone
trying to pursue it," he said.
"Last
week, we approached BBC Watchdog about the delays and this spurred
the company on to contact us and promise an interim payment of
£5,000 - but that will only cover our rental for the last
few months, not the rebuilding of our home."
 The
couple have recently submitted a planning application to Sedgemoor
District Council to gain permission to rebuild their home on the
same site at Brean Cove, but Ron says the work won't go ahead
until the insurance money comes through.
"We
can't do anything until that payout is made," he explained.
"The insurance company just seems to be dragging its heels
over the whole matter, possibly because of the current financial
claimte."
"We're
living with friends at the moment and thank them any everyone
else who has helped us over the last few months."
Despite the traumatic fire, the couple married in Brean's St Bridget's
Church in December
in front of family, friends and supporters. Following
a community fundraising campaign, the grateful couple were presented
with a pair of honeymoon tickets in January,
worth £560, for a fortnight's holiday in Fuerteventura.
RELATED
LINKS:
In photos:
Fire-hit couple tie the knot
Pub
gig raises hundreds towards couple's honeymoon
Brean
fire couple thanks community
BBC
Points West interview with couple [External link]
Video
coverage of Brean blaze
Electrical
fault blamed for the Brean blaze
Photos
of the blaze at Brean chalet home
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