MORE than 1.5 million of us had our roofs damaged last year, as winds of up to 77 mph whipped across the country causing £4.5 billion of damage.

The average cost of wind damage hit £2,800 last year – that's about 12 per cent of the average British salary and a huge blow for householders without adequate buildings insurance.

The research by Halifax Home Insurance also found the average affected house needed 127 tiles replacing – more than 200 million across Britain – and placed huge pressures on the nation's roofers and builders.

But it's not just the cost of repairing the roof. Missing roof tiles allowed large volumes of water to leak into homes causing a further £2.5 billion damage, an average £1,604 per incident. Water damage included: damp, flooding, mould, damaged ceilings and even electrical fires.

Gardens also took a battering. Over 150,000 affected householders (10 per cent) had plants devastated by winds, 78,000 (five per cent) suffered damage to sheds, summer houses and outbuildings, while 47,000 households reported destroyed garden furniture.

A further 62,000 (four per cent) affected home owners also said that flying tiles and other debris had damaged their car, while 15,000 reported broken windows.

Future costs of storm and wind damage are predicted to increase markedly. A German study predicted that storm-related losses could increase by up to 37 per cent in the UK.

"The damage caused by high winds runs into billions of pounds each year," said Martyn Foulds of Halifax Home Insurance.

"Immediate action is vital if householders are to avoid seeing the problem exacerbated by water coming in through missing or broken tiles.

"It's advisable for homeowners to conduct a thorough inspection from ground level following high winds and call in a professional if they are concerned there may be damage."

Martyn recommends homeowners check the condition of their roofs regularly and call in a qualified roofer to carry out repair work if any tiles are loose or missing.

Keeping the home in a good state of repair is a condition of most home insurance policies.

Damage caused by falling tiles in the last 12 months:

* Plants in garden: 15,000;
* Outbuildings/shed: 78,000;
* Own car: 62,000;
* Garden furniture: 47,000;
* Neighbour's property/car: 15,000;
* Damage to windows: 15,000.