No cuddly meerkats for bikers

An insurance firm is offering free cuddly toys – but not to bikers.

Compare the Market is giving away a free cuddly meerkat with policies.

But the toys, which are selling for £40 on eBay, are offered only with car, van, pet or home insurance.

A disappointed motorcyclist said: “I just renewed my bike insurance hoping for my free meerkat toy for my excited daughter, only to find that motorcycle insurance is excluded. Discriminatory or what! Not so simples after all.”

The firm uses meerkat characters in its TV ads, which feature the catchphrase “simples”.

A Compare the Market spokesman said: “The offer is on our core products. Compare the Market is obviously known for car insurance.

“But it’s proved very popular so we will be extending it in the next few weeks.”