People who included an iPod on their list to Father Christmas this year would have been well advised to ask for insurance at the same time.

The specialist UK insurer Hiscox has issued a warning that iPods and other MP3 players are not usually covered in basic home contents insurance policies.

Similar to mobile phones, the soaring popularity of iPods has made them a clear target for thieves, with recent figures indicating an increase in London thefts of around “fivefold since last November”, according to Hiscox.

Furthermore, the uninsured could lose not just the device itself, but also the catalogue of songs downloaded and stored.

With storage for some 1,000 tracks, sometimes priced at 79p, if not saved on a PC this cost could be very significant - anything “up to £790”, according to Kevin Kerridge, head of direct business.

“To lose both an iPod and your own personal music library without any insurance is a frustrating and unnecessary double whammy,” he added.

“Consumers should make sure they are covered by their contents insurance.”

© 2005 Adfero Ltd