Love gets a lift in the City

The insurance business is not, it is fair to say, usually considered one of the more exciting fields of human endeavour. Underwriting syndicates and reinsurance liability are not generally the sort of thing to get the pulse racing.

All this time we have, apparently, been getting them wrong. The chaps who inhabit the Lloyd's of London building in the City are, it seems, a hot-blooded and daring lot.

The sort, in fact, to enjoy having sex in lifts. According to today's Insurance Times, members of the insurance market have formed their own version of the Mile High Club, using the lifts that scale the outside of the building as the unlikely venue. A senior writer on the magazine even claims to have witnessed one such liaison.

Now, the practice of enjoying a spot of nookie in a lift is fraught with difficulties at the best of times. There is the constant danger of discovery which can only perhaps be overcome by stopping the lift between floors. But it is a risky business. With the Richard Rogers-designed building it is far worse.

Not only are the lifts transparent, they are also outside the building. Anyone deciding to go for a quick knee-trembler between the ground floor and the 12th would be doing so in full view of the whole of the City of London. As devoted to their jobs as City workers are, there is still a chance that someone might notice something.

Still, one can see the attraction. One City observer said: "The lifts are amazing. You go up in the heart of the City and the whole of the City emerges beneath you. It's quite a fun little ride on a normal day." And on others - well, then it gets really special. One 32-year-old unmarried insurance services manager said: "It sounds a good idea but I've never done it myself. Unfortunately I am far too sad and just work here.

"All the lifts are outside so they are all visible to the street or the public. You would have to be quite an exhibitionist to do anything saucy in there.

"You get some lovely views so it is quite a romantic setting. There is a function centre downstairs where you can have access to the elevators, so I can imagine after a few drinks people might start getting adventurous."

Lloyd's says it has no evidence of the practice - "it's not something our security have seen" - although admitting there are plenty of parties in the building.

There is another problem. As the Lloyd's spokesman said, "the lifts only take 45 seconds to get to the top". Well, they are a very busy lot in the City. Pressure of work and all that. It could happen to anyone.

No wonder premiums are so high.

Great ideas for Valentine's