Iggy Pop insurer builds home cover

Swiftcover, the online car insurance group that brought us the curious sight of rocker Iggy Pop advertising insurance, is to branch out into home insurance in the next year.

The group, founded in 2005 by Steve Hardy, the former finance director of RBS-owned Churchill, was the fastest growing car insurance provider in the UK in 2007, selling more than half a million policies since its launch. Swiftcover, which sells exclusively over the internet, is now owned by the French insurance giant Axa. Mr Hardy said: "We've had great success in the car insurance arena, so household insurance makes sense."