I am a volunteer driver for various NGOs in disaster- and war-torn environments. In March 2023, my Transit van was stolen along with a number of possessions while I was working in a refugee camp.

This was extremely stressful to come home to and things got worse because my insurer rejected my claim because I had been using it as a camper van at weekends. In the letter cancelling the policy it said I’d failed to tell it about “modifications” I’d made.

I complained to the Financial Ombudsman but without success. As far as I’m concerned it was naive to throw a mattress and some camping gear in the back, not malicious.

Then, in October 2024, my motorcycle insurance was automatically renewed, only to be cancelled two weeks later due to the van issue. I have since contacted multiple bike insurers only to be told there is no way I will be able to get cover again.

I have been driving for 38 years. I have never had an accident and have no convictions.

How can a man who used his van to sleep in on occasional weekends and put a few things in the back to make it more comfortable be left in a position where he can no longer get insurance?

DF, Llangollen

The letter you received when your van insurance was cancelled made clear that you had to advise any current or future insurer what had happened and “failure to do so may result in future policies being declared void”. You are frequently out of the country and this is what happened when you let your bike cover renew without flagging it.

Sprucing up a van for weekends away seems harmless but, as you have discovered, if you don’t tell your insurer it can invalidate your policy. The argument is that adding any mod cons changes the vehicle’s value and might make it more attractive to thieves (your alterations included a kitchen, heater and solar panels). Had the insurer known, it might have upped the premium or pulled your cover.

You had exhausted a lot of the options, including hiring lawyers to challenge the van insurer’s decision, before you came to me. I contacted the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and through its “find insurance” service identified a broker able to help you. I passed the details to you and you’ve secured new motorbike insurance at a similar price.

“Anyone who has had a policy cancelled may find it more challenging to find insurance from standard online routes, but specialist brokers often have access to niche markets that may be able to help,” says Graeme Trudgill, the chief executive of BIBA.