Footie resident struck by hand of God

Dec 30 2011 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

OUT of pocket residents have been told to blame GOD for damage to their property.

Flying debris from a football ground hurtled into cars and houses – leaving neighbours with soaring repair bills.

But the festive fright has been deemed as an act from the Almighty by insurance chiefs.

Shellshocked neighbours of Ayr United saw their Somerset Road homes bombarded by pieces of the club’s ageing stadium.

Hurricane force winds ripped shards of the stand roof into the sky and caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to nearby houses.

But residents have been told the football club cannot accept liability for the wrecking spree.

Philip Oyston, who lives beside the ground, has been left with a costly claim after his car took a battering.

He said: “I don’t understand why I should be the one who is out of pocket here.

“I haven’t put an insurance claim in for my car in 15 years, but now I’ll have to lose my no claims bonus – and that will cost me a lot of money.

“We’re being told that what happened is an act of God, but that’s a bit hard to take for all of the people in this street who were affected.

“There were pieces of Ayr United’s ground flying into our gardens, yet somehow it’s us who have to pay?

“I’ve nothing against the club whatsoever, I just feel like we’re being punished for something that wasn’t our fault.”

Residents have now been urged to claim off their own insurance in a bid to get their money back after the early December storm.

David MacKay, of MacKay Insurance Broker, is acting on behalf of Ayr United.

He insisted: “The club has acted entirely correctly in these circumstances and done all that they could.

“It is not for them to admit liability for what happened – that would be for a court to decide.

“But it would have to be proven that the club had been negligent in the middle of hurricane conditions.

“A lot of things came crashing off buildings that day, it just so happens this is higher profile because it’s a football stadium.

“The club is fully insured and has passed on its details to the residents for them to go through the relevant process with their companies.”

Ayr United’s operations manager, Tracy McTrusty, added: “We’ve done what we can in terms of handing over our insurance details to the residents.

“It’s now up to the companies to sort between themselves.”