A COUNTY MP has welcomed a Supreme Court ruling which means insurance companies will have to pay out to dozens of local companies who paid for pandemic insurance.

West Worcestershire's Harriett Baldwin has been advising constituents and companies affected by the issue, with several having their claims rejected.

Six companies who had sold business interruption insurance projects: Arch, Argenta, Hiscox, MS Amlin, QBE and RSA - claimed their policies did not cover a global crisis like coronavirus.

Mrs Baldwin said: "I’ve had quite a few local businesses raise their concerns about how some companies were refusing to pay out on their claims.

"The courts moved swiftly to hear a test case and I am pleased that the Supreme Court has upheld the initial ruling.

"This has been a very difficult time for many businesses and although the Government has rolled out a number of support packages, some of the shutdown costs were covered by insurance policies.

"I remain eager to offer assistance to companies who have been negatively impacted by these periods of lockdown but I hope that with a vaccination programme properly underway, we can see a route towards unlocking the local economy as soon as possible."