DWTS judge Brian Redmond's family business shuts after being quoted up to €100K for insurance

He said he was unable to get insurance cover, a development that left many of the 16 staff in tears.

Some 350 children were receiving swimming lessons every week at the Spin Activity Centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare, before it closed last week.

Mr Redmond and his parents had run the centre for three years after taking over an unused Jackie Skelly facility.

The decision by LeisureInsure to pull out of doing business in this country proved a key blow for Mr Redmond's business.

The UK insurer announced earlier in the summer it would not be quoting for new business and ceased all renewals in Ireland, blaming the high level of payouts.

Mr Redmond's broker tried to find alternative cover from London and elsewhere across the European Union without success.

"The challenges in the last three months have become insurmountable in terms of insurance cover," Mr Redmond said.

No insurers were prepared to cover the Spin Activity Centre, with one indicating if it did it would charge €100,000 - more than four times its previous premium, he added.

"And we have never had a claim," Mr Redmond said.

"One insurer said he could get cover for an oil rig in Nigeria but said there was no interest in covering a swimming pool in Newbridge."

He said this meant his family had no choice but to shut, with any subscriptions being returned and people in the area told well in advance of last week's closure.

Mr Redmond said his family were "bitterly disappointed" to have to shut the business.