TVs have become the latest casualty of the coronavirus, with one insurance firm reporting an eight-fold increase in claims for smashed screens during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Home appliances insurer Prominence Support said the number of claims for smashed LCD and OLED TV screens was up 718 per cent during April and May, compared to the same period in 2019.

It seems no coincidence that the rise in claims coincided with a time when schools were closed to all but a handful of children, and many parents were struggling to juggle their remote-working commitments with their new part-time teaching role.

Prominence Support saw a spike in claims across all home appliances during this two-month period – up 54 per cent year-on-year – as cookers, washing machines and toasters were used more heavily than normal.

Lorraine Taylor, claims manager at Prominence Support, said: “Being under lockdown has not only taken its physical and emotional toll on many people, it also seems to have taken its toll on our home appliances.

“We have seen an unprecedented level of claims to repair or replace broken home appliances, and in particular smashed televisions.”

She added: “The high level of claims made for smashed screens has, not surprisingly, coincided with kids being off school and parents trying to remote work. Under the circumstances, a little more TV time than normal is totally understandable.

“Accidents will happen and no one is to blame. Many parents are under pressure to work full days, and it’s impossible to supervise young, school age kids, all day.”