Research by Sheilas Wheels home insurance has revealed that a quarter of children have broken or damaged a piece of electronic equipment in the home within the last year and worringly most of these contents are not insured.

The statistics show that the average child causes around £183 worth of damage to equipment such as home cinema systems, Wii consoles and laptops every year.

One in five parents surveyed (20 per cent) have claimed on their home insurance for the damage caused by their kids and nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of parents polled actually admitted that they would make their kids pay for the damage as part of their punishment rather than pay themselves.

Jacky Brown, spokesperson for Sheilas' Wheels home insurance, said: "School holidays are a prime time for breakages as bored kids can wreak havoc at home - potentially causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage. That is why accidental damage is so important for families. If the Wii controller slips out of your hand or juice gets spilt down the TV there won't be a hefty bill to repair the damage or buy a replacement."