B&Q and Screwfix's parent group Kingfisher has appointed insurance broker Trade Direct as the sole supplier and administrator of tools and public liability insurance for its customers.
Both Kingfisher and independent broker Trade Direct have said the new partnership will benefit both sides.

Trade Direct managing director Richard Woolford said: "We are experts in the provision of cover against the risks that abound in all aspects of construction and to form an association with companies like Screwfix and TradePoint, two of the UK's largest suppliers of building components, offers us great opportunities to apply our expert knowledge.

"Clearly the insurance of tools is extremely important to the tradesman, but it is the provision of public liability cover that is really vital and an area in which our experience can be of the greatest value."

B&Q's financial services manager Steve Clarke added: "We have worked closely with Richard and the Trade Direct team to design an innovative and competitive product and we have had an encouraging start with sales to our Screwfix and TradePoint customers."