The number of ex-Wellington employees leaving Catlin continued to rise this week with the resignation of a further four underwriters.

Andrew Richardson, a US property underwriter, and Russell Mason, an aviation underwriter, have both handed in their notice.

Mason's departure was followed by the resignation of fellow division members, assistant aviation under-writers, Alex Taylor and Andrew Webster.

According to market sources, the trio will join Robert Swinton and Noel Holloway, the head and deputy head of Wellington's aviation team, who left the combined company in January.

They are understood to be joining fellow Lloyd's managing agent Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance.

The latest resignations bring the total number of departures in the last seven days to 10.

This number includes two members of the company's legal team.

But, a spokesman for Catlin said: "We fully expected that some people would choose to leave the company following the acquisition of Wellington.

"However, we don't believe that any of the departures will have a meaningful impact on Catlin's business."

During the January renewal period, the amount of business retention by the combined company of Catlin and Wellington is said to have far exceeded expectation.