Partners& has acquired trade credit and surety bond broker Avenue Insurance Partners and B2B debt recovery specialist Ko-bolt International. Partners& said the deals would broaden the firm’s proposition and enable it to better support clients in building resilience.

A new three-year contract has extended the faster claims payment service in place at Lloyd’s. Vitesse will continue to provide the service, which is managed on behalf of the Lloyd’s market by LIMOSS (London Insurance Market Operations and Strategic Sourcing). All managing agents in the market have signed up to the service, which currently caters for more than 700 binders.

Brokers using Acturis can now access Alps’ Complete+ proposition, which combines motor legal protection cover with a guaranteed hire vehicle policy. The managing general agent said the combined cover served to protect clients’ legal rights and mobility.

UK-based AI automation specialist Tovie AI has launched an agent platform, which it says can assist insurers seeking to create and scale AI agents and multi-agent systems. The developer said the platform could be deployed via either cloud or in-house servers and used to create individual departmental agents as well as company-wide AI ecosystems.

Inner London Crown Court has sentenced Leon Price to a total of five years and three months in prison after the fraudulent insurance broker was found guilty of diverting customer payments totalling more than £133,000 into his own account. His actions left customers without cover for their homes, vehicles and commercial premises.

The cover provided by Premier Insurance Company Limited policies will come to an end on 1st December. The announcement comes after the carrier was placed into administration on 14th October. The motor insurer had more than 16,000 policyholders and was regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.

The Insurance Fraud Bureau has appointed Scott Clayton (pictured), head of claims fraud for Zurich, as chair with effect from 1st January 2026. He replaces Karl Helgesen, chief operating officer, UK and international at Intact Insurance. Helgesen has served as chair since 2019.

Addept Insurance Services has created, in partnership with broker Nice 1, a dedicated rent guarantee and legal expenses product. It is aimed at landlords and local authorities providing social housing in England and Wales.

C&C Insurance Brokers has opened an office in London’s Mayfair at premises on Bolton Street, which were once the home of Winston Churchill (1905-1909). C&C said the move built on the growth it has achieved in the capital and follows the appointment of a permanent London-based business development executive earlier in the year.

The International Underwriting Association is seeking to attract more talent into the environmental insurance sector, which it described as both dynamic and purpose driven. The promotion of the sector is part of the IUA Futures programme and seeks to show environmental underwriting as a destination rather than a discipline into which people fall.

Re/insurance managing general agent Rokstone has created a dedicated cyber division in its bid to expand its footprint in this line of business. It said the covers available would provide protection against traditional exposures as well as emerging risks related to AI, supply-chain interconnectivity and operational technology.

UK travel insurance provider Staysure has launched operations in the Republic of Ireland. Staysure was established in 2004 and has a focus on providing cover for customers with pre-existing medical conditions. It said this would be attractive in a market, like many others, with an ageing demographic. It also said by 2030, the Irish travel market was expected to more than double its 2024 value of approximately £125m.

Oak Global has received permission from Lloyd’s for its syndicate 1440 to beginning underwriting. The syndicate will operate has Oak Enterprise and focus on providing property and specialty retrocession capacity to clients for business incepting from 1st January 2026.

Specialist motor fleet managing general agent Century Underwriting has agreed a long-term capacity partnership with Antares Insurance Company Limited. The partnership is effective from 1st December and stretches across both Century and its sub-brand Cognition.

Ardonagh Advisory’s general insurance businesses have rebranded to Everywhen and began trading under the new name this week. The group’s UK SME platform rebranded to the new identity earlier in the year. The move pulls down the curtain on more than 35 existing brands including Towergate, Ethos Broking and Berkeley Alexander.

Covéa Insurance has decided to outsource its provision of premium finance and has agreed a multi-year partnership with Premium Credit. The partnership will be based on a “pay as paid” model. This means Covéa will receive instalments as they are paid by customers, rather than receiving the entire annual premium up front.