After the furore over the Rolling Stones’ flouting the smoking ban at the O2 gig last week, Backchat was left mulling over the insurance implications of Keith Richard’s fag habit.

Had the arena burned down as a result of Keef’s ciggie-smoking antics, would the venue’s insurers still have footed the bill? Or would the Stones have had to dip into their deep pockets?

Backchat hopes its host for the evening, Norwich Union, wasn’t the insurer for the arena. Although, judging from the behaviour of one ecstatic PR person, who happens to play a mean air guitar, NU didn’t appear to be overly concerned.