A family whose car was hit by a collapsing chimney at a soft play centre say they are struggling to receive insurance for the incident.

The large chimney structure in the car park of the Jolly Roger on Greenbridge Road fell onto several cars during Storm Henk on January 2, causing significant damage to them. 

One of the owners of the cars damaged during the incident has been hoping to claim via Jolly Roger's public liability insurance and had been given insurance details from a manager at the venue.

But after trying to make her claim, the 37-year-old mother of two from Stratton, who wished not to be named, said she was told that no policy with the details she'd been given could be found.

She said: "My husband has asked the owner on more than one occasion for the correct details and he's failed to provide them.

"He has said AXA XL are his insurance, however, I have called them and our insurance company has called them and we have both received the same response, 'we cannot find a policy with that number, address or name."

The Advertiser has now obtained a copy of a previous Jolly Roger's Liability insurance policy from AXA XL showing it expired on December 21 2023.

Speaking to the Adver, a manager at Jolly Roger  said, "We've not had any issues with the other car owners, this is just one person being difficult."

They added the soft play centre did have insurance and that he needed to speak to his manager about sending over the evidence. 

This did not happen, and when the Advertiser further asked for a copy of the insurance certificate effective from December 22 and covering the date of the chimney collapse, which is usually publicly displayed within the premises, it did not receive a response

On the day of the incident, the car owner described the owner and manager as showing 'no sympathy, or empathy'. 

She added that it was extremely difficult to get them to provide their insurance details. 

"The manager's whole attitude was difficult, he refused to give me his name, he wouldn’t confirm or deny his insurance company’s name, and he wouldn’t confirm or deny he had the insurance documents on him.

"He was dismissive and argumentative,"

She told them she would not leave without insurance details and eventually was given a piece of paper.

It is not a legal requirement for businesses to have public liability insurance, but it means the venue is potentially not protected against any claims.