ANIMALS can be an expensive hazard for drivers and the over 50s have been clocking up some hefty claims for one insurance company.

Saga, who specialise in insuring senior motorists, paid out more than £600,000 in claims for damage caused by creatures involving anything from cows kicking cars to prangs with pigeons.

Damage done by deer was responsible for the biggest bill, nearly 300 claims resulted in payouts totalling £360,000 in the last 12 months.

Among the claims handled by Saga in the last year was a badger which jumped out of a roadside bush and hit a commuter’s car which left them stranded and facing a repair bill of £2,400.

A head-on collision with a deer did damage worth £4,000 to a Saga customer while a collision with a low-flying pigeon did £1,000 of damage to another driver’s vehicle.

Curious cows surrounded a Saga driver who parked in a famer’s field and when his dog, which was inside the car, barked the animals kicked out causing £1,000 worth of damage.

The law requires drivers to stop and report accidents to the police as soon as possible if they are in collision with dogs, horses, cattle, pigs goats, sheep, donkeys and mules.

Drivers should report incidents regardless of whether the animal is killed or not.

Dead animals at the roadside, either domestic or wild, can be reported to the local council.