£6k award for missing war medals
War veteran Irvine Gibson has won a whopping £6,000 in compensation after a three-year battle with an insurance company – thanks to Raw Deal. Last month we told how the military hero, 60, lost everything when fire ripped through his property. Two prestigious medals went AWOL in the aftermath. Since the January 2015 fire, the former soldier had been wrangling with Admiral Insurance over the value of a South Atlantic Medal, awarded for his service in the Falklands, and a General Service medal bestowed for peacekeeping duties in Northern Ireland. These could not be recovered by Rainbow International, the firm contracted by Admiral to clean up his home after the fire, he claimed. But Irvine is now celebrating after settling his case with Admiral. He said: “After three years of banging my head against the wall, Raw Deal’s intervention cleared the water and Admiral finally accepted their responsibility for my losses. “I wanted the insurers to recognise that my medals went missing and that these were of considerable sentimental value to me.” Irvine, from Abergavenny in Wales, had to quit the military after serious injuries sustained while serving in the SAS. A spokesperson said Admiral was sorry the veteran had been unhappy with the service he had previously received. “We strive to settle all claims efficiently and provide great customer service and we are pleased that we have been able to reach a final settlement with Mr Gibson.”