The St Valentines Day Massacre - 2007 Style

As desperate boyfriends try to think of the proposal from heaven for their sweetheart on Valentines Day, some will choose to say it with music delivered in the time honoured fashion - serenading their loved one with the obligatory ladder propped up against their intended's bedroom window ledge.

Allianz Cornhill Musical Insurance is reminding would be romancers to take care of their instruments during what can be a tricky encounter.

Allianz Cornhill Musical Insurance (ACMI) is one of the leading insurers of musical instruments in the UK, and its claims files are full of examples of mishaps that have proven to be the downfall of a policyholders favourite musical instrument. Examples include:

Musicians getting cello spikes entangled in clothing, losing balance and falling onto their instruments; young brothers playing ‘rough and tumble’ and crushing the instrument as a result; wasps flying down shirts and panicking musicians then seeing their instrument crash to the floor; the list goes on.

ACMI spokesman John Feaver is keen to pass on the experiences of these musicians as a warning to those whose musical wedding proposal could become a little too adventurous. He said: "Some of our policyholders have come up with some ingenious ways to damage their instruments so we have become quite expert in providing Risk Management advice. The advice in this case is quite simple; Please don't try climbing a ladder while playing a guitar or violin - it could seriously damage your health and your instrument!"