An upturn in claims has led to the West of England Ship Owners Mutual Insurance Association deciding against making a return of premium to members.

The possibility of a return has been flagged a number of times but the protection-and-indemnity (P&I) club’s shipowner directors decided that an increase in the ­frequency of higher-cost claims through the second quarter made it prudent to at least postpone a decision until their next board meeting in May.