A banking firm today admitted mistakes were made after a champion clay pigeon shooter from Suffolk was refused home insurance... because he owns a gun!

East Anglian Daily Times: Disabled clay pigeon shooter Sam Nunn with several of his trophies and medalsDisabled clay pigeon shooter Sam Nunn with several of his trophies and medals

Dad-of-one Sam Nunn said the firearm in question, a shotgun he uses for the sport, is not even kept at his home in Wherstead, but that he was initially told he could not get insurance with his existing provider, Halifax, because of how much the item was worth.

The 29-year-old disabled athlete says he then got mixed messages as to why he had been declined, with a letter from the provider suggesting the refusal was simply down to the fact he owns a gun.

Mr Nunn said: “They asked me if I had anything of value. I told them about the gun but told them it was not at the home, it was at my parents’ house in Chelmondiston.

“They said it was because they could take it to my house and I said I’m not going to take it out of the case and shoot the walls. They said there is always a risk.

“It is just a piece of sports equipment as far as I am concerned and it is kept within the law. It was quite frustrating.”

Mr Nunn tried to change his cover after going on to a comparison website.

It was while he was discussing his cover with the company that Mr Nunn mentioned he owned a gun. He was then told he could not get the insurance, with a letter informing him he was not eligible for a Halifax Home Options product.

But yesterday, a spokeswoman for Lloyds Banking Group, said a mistake was made and that the firm would be apologising to Mr Nunn.

The spokeswoman added: “Halifax Home Options would provide cover for guns as long as the guns are kept at the home and are within the policy limits SI SAL limits.

“The policy wouldn’t provide cover for guns, or any article, used or held for business or employment purposes.

“In this particular case, Mr Nunn should have been offered insurance cover and advised that the gun would be excluded from the policy due to it being insured elsewhere and the value possibly exceeding the sum insured single article limits.

“We are contacting Mr Nunn to apologise for the inconvenience caused and offer insurance cover with the above product should he wish to proceed.”

Mr Nunn, who used to play for the Ipswich Town disabled team, has won the English Skeet disabled standing category and the British Open skeet.

He added: “I have won quite a bit this year. I only took it up as competition last year, it is something quite new to me, but I have had quite a bit of success quite quickly.”

He and fellow disabled shooters are now hoping he and other disabled shooters can convince Olympic officials the sport should be in the Paralympics.