Pictured above: Kevin Richards

As business travellers get into their schedules for 2011, a leading local insurance broker is advising them to protect their trips against natural disasters.

After the travel chaos caused by the volcanic ash cloud last April, many travellers risked losing money because natural disasters are usually excluded from travel policies.

Brett and Randall is encouraging companies to check their travel policies and to consider new additional cover that is now available. It now includes £10,000 of natural catastrophe cover on all its travel policies.

Kevin Richards, a director at Brett and Randall, said: "Most travellers would have been seriously out of pocket due to the ash cloud if it hadn't been for the airlines who footed the bill.

"Some of those airlines' recent trading figures suggest they face challenging times, and if a natural disaster such as the volcano cloud happened again, I cannot see them being so charitable.

"For the business traveller, the consequences of missing a flight can be far more serious than losing a few days' holiday, and could easily result in thousands of pounds of wasted investment or lost business.

"If you do experience problems, do not cancel your flight or trip yourself as this will invalidate most travel policies," says Mr Richards, "and talk to your insurance provider as soon as possible."