A major UK insurer is calling businesses to take steps to prevent fires breaking out, after revealing it paid £43 million in claims from fire-damaged businesses in 2012.

The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society (NFU Mutual), which has 300 offices in mainly rural parts of the UK, says its average claim was £26,472.

Topping the list of reasons for claims were arson, electrical faults and fires in commercial vehicles, it said.

Georgina Farndon at NFU Mutual said: “Research suggests that 80 per cent of businesses that suffer a major incident such as a fire fail within 18 months.

“Firms need to have a business continuity plan and know how to deal with what happens after a fire. Many are simply not equipped to survive after a major catastrophe.”

The organisation also pointed out that local fire authorities attended 102,000 incidents in England between April and September 2013.

It said fire crews take on average three minutes longer to reach premises in outlying areas than in cities.