Car calls revved up

WEATHER 1

Roadside breakdown giant the AA say they can recover from a surge in call-outs. The number jumped 8 per cent to 1.91 million in the six months to the end of July because of, first, the Arctic blast then the summer scorcher. “This was significantly higher than both our expectations and the average over the last 10 years,” it said. The increase forced the AA to pay outside garages to help cope with the workload. Customer numbers fell 1 per cent to 3.25m, partly due to competition from the likes of Green Flag. But business in their insurance arm grew 7 per cent and the AA stuck to their full-year profit guidance of between £325-345million. Greetings card chain Card Factory blamed the weather as they issued a profit warning yesterday.

The company said the extremes in temperatures over the past six months caused a 0.2 per cent drop in shop sales.

They opened 25 new branches in the period, with a target of 50 for the year.

The firm’s online arm also performed well but bosses said the weather, plus “continuing uncertainty around the UK consumer environment”, would take its toll. They expect to make £89-91million this year, revised down from £94m. The share price dived 10 per cent as a result. WITH TRICIA PHILLIPS Around 3000 Brits need emergency medical treatment abroad every week – and the cost has hit a six-year high.

The Association of British Insurers said £201million was paid out in claims last year, an average of £1,264 per person.

Many bills reached eye-watering sums, including £202,000 following a heart attack on a cruise ship and an air ambulance back to the UK, £233,000 for a 15-day US hospital stay after a stroke, and £28,000 for six days in a Russian hospital, also after a stroke.

But despite the high risk of crippling medical bills, one in five of us still jet off without taking out travel insurance.

A policy costs from just £20 to cover a family of four for two weeks in Spain, that’s less than a meal out. So, the saving is not worth the risk.

The ABI’s Charlie Campbell said: “Most people bring back happy memories, but for some it can be the stuff of nightmares.”