A car insurance company has continued taking money out of a dead woman’s account for four months after her death, despite her bereaved husband informing them of his loss.

Khaleda Easmin, of Heathcote Court, Clayhall, died in December aged just 35 after a three-year battle with breast cancer, leaving her husband Shahidul Islam and their eight-year-old son Farhan.

Mr Islam, 38, said he sent The Co-operative Insurance his wife’s death certificate and forms, as requested, to cancel her car insurance.

But he was shocked to see larger direct debits of more than £100 start coming out of her account in January, as well as from his own account.

He only realised the money was being taken when he received a bank letter warning there were insufficient funds for the payments.

Mr Islam said: “Seeing it come out really surprised me and it’s very sad. If it’s happening with me, it must be happening with so many people.

“Maybe if there was more money I would never know because the bank wouldn’t have written.”

A spokesman for The Co-operative said that due to an “administrative error”, Mr Islam was paying for a new policy as well the previous policy in his late wife’s name that had been automatically renewed.

The increased charges were the result of a higher premium caused by a greater number of accidents and injury claims in the postcode area, she said.

Mr Islam said: “How is it possible that the same car with the same number plate can have two different insurance policies?”

The Co-operative will be refunding the incorrect payments and said it will be contacting Mr Islam to apologise.

The spokesman added: “We are genuinely sorry for the distress this has caused Mr Islam and appreciate that our customer service has fallen far short of our usual high standards in this instance.”