TWO sisters have been forced to pay back more than £100,000 after an insurance windfall from their father’s death turned out to be a major blunder.

Elaine Briscoe and Sandy Millington have also been left £7,000 out of pocket after becoming embroiled in a lengthy legal battle over the repayment of the cash.

The pair had already spent or passed on to relatives around £60,000 before pensions and insurer firm Friends Life Group admitted its mistake in dealing with their late father’s Rob Gent’s estate.

The sisters were left shocked when they received a letter saying the money was not for their dad - but a different man with the same name.

Norton mum-of-two Sandy, said: “It has just caused us untold issues and heartache. It has been horrendous and caused arguments within the family.”

When former digger driver Mr Gent retired aged 65 in October 2008, Sandy, from The Glebe, and older sister Elaine, from Stockton, spent the next three years trying to get his pension for him.

When he died in 2011, they vowed to continue looking for it in his memory.

In October 2013, a breakthrough came when their solicitor Newby’s received a letter and cheque from Friends Life for £108,895 and the money was split between Mr Gent’s four grandchildren as he had requested.

But less than a month later they were told it was an error and were warned legal proceedings to recover the money would start.

They sold their father’s house to try to raise some of the money and borrowed from family and friends but were too late to stop court proceedings even though they repaid all the money by last October.

The court hearing decided they now had to pay Friends Life Group £7,000 in total - £6,000 in legal costs and £1,000 interest.

Friends Life said it offered unreserved apologies for the distress caused.