Nearly 16 months on from the Buncefield disaster, hundreds of people are still trying to piece their lives back together.

Una Hewitt and her husband Michael, both 70, were looking forward to a happy retirement - they planned to spend half the year in Australia with their son and the other half with their daughter and her family in Britain - before that fateful day in December 2005.

In all, Mrs Hewitt's insurer, RIAS, has paid more than £300,000 to put their property and outbuildings - including a separate cottage on the land - back together. "RIAS have paid the builders for all the work which has been done, but they have held back some of the money until the work has been completed," she says.

"I am happy with the way they have handled the claim, but they chose the wrong builder. They chose the cheapest and the one who has the furthest to travel."

The builders have yet to complete the work more than a year after they started, said Mrs Hewitt, although she would still recommend RIAS to other people.

Des Collins of Collins Solicitors in Watford is representing the Hewitts and around 270 other victims of the disaster in a bid to reclaim uninsured losses - such as compensation for personal injury - from Hertfordshire Oil Storage, the company that owns the Buncefield site. The two parties are entering mediation at the end of the month. A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire Oil Storage says the company is "committed to progressing all claims as swiftly as possible".

"Substantial progress has been made, and that work is continuing. From the outset, we have been keen to progress the resolution of all claims in a pragmatic and sensitive manner, particularly with individuals who may have suffered harm as a result of the incident," says the spokeswoman.

"All personal injury claims are being settled as if liability was not an issue, subject to claimants proving their injury was caused by the incident, and we have all those who have experienced psychological or physical injuries given rehabilitation treatment free of charge if it is considered appropriate following medical assessment. As yet, legal liability for the incident has not been established, and all those actions have been taken on a without-prejudice basis and without admission of liability."