A disabled widow has won out against insurers who refused to pay for repairs to her storm-damaged house.

Linda Leigh, aged 55, of Calderton Road on the Gwaunmiskin Estate, Beddau, was forced to foot a £2,500 bill to repair the outside wall of her house after water began leaking through the walls and floors.

Tesco Home Insurance had refused to pay up, claiming that 'faulty workmanship' from a government-funded heating scheme rendered Mrs Leigh's claim invalid.

But, after intervention by the Observer, Tesco has promised the determined grandmother that it will pay the entire bill, including a £100 policy excess - as well as stumping up an apology and a bouquet of flowers as a gesture of goodwill.

Mrs Leigh said: 'I have never claimed for anything or owed anyone money in my life. Since this happened, I've lost a stone in weight. It's made me ill with worry.

'I'm so grateful, I can't thank the Observer enough. You've saved my life.'

Two years ago, Mrs Leigh received a government grant for cavity wall insulation work to be carried out on her house.

A year later, she took out an insurance policy with Tesco.

But following heavy storms in November last year, water leaked through the walls and floors of her three-bedroom house.

She said: 'The hall has been ruined, the Artex is cracked, there has been water coming out of the walls and the downstairs floor, pipes have come away from the wall, there's mildew and the wallpaper is damp and peeling. I've found myself apologising every time someone comes round to the house because it's such a tip.

'I've had to have extra medication, and I have had so many builders coming in and out of the house that I just couldn't stand it anymore.

'My grand-daughter is ten and when she wanted to come over and spend the night I had to say no because the rooms haven't been fit to stay in.

'Is my house un-insurable? Is that what it was?'

Mrs Leigh noticed that the walls of her house were damp in December last year.

Tesco sent a surveyor to inspect the property, who told her that the water was coming in through the insulation, and that they would not pay for the claim because the damage was due to faulty workmanship.

She said: 'I've had three months of hell here. My life has felt like it has been worth nothing. I just wanted somebody to help me.'

A spokeswoman for Tesco Home Insurance said that due to the complex nature of the damage, they had been unable to cover the claim.

She said: 'We are sorry that we have not provided Mrs Leigh with the high level of customer service expected from Tesco Home Insurance.

'There are a number of issues surrounding the root cause. However, as a gesture of goodwill, and to apologise for the lapse in customer service when initially handling the claim, we will be making an ex-gratia payment to help with the cost of the necessary repairs.'

A spokesman for EAGA Group, responsible for overseeing the installation of home heating services, said: 'We have inspected the property and are more than satisfied with the quality of the work that was carried out more than 18 months ago, as is Mrs Leigh.'

Andrew David, manager at the South East Wales Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, said: 'If it is normal cavity wall insulation then there shouldn't be a problem, as long as it complies with government regulations.

'If the wall was genuinely damaged because of the storms then there's no reason why the insurance wouldn't cover it. It's not a very common problem.'