There are an almost incalculable number of available insurance policies, and the wide variety allows for different risk profiles and policies to be tailored for individual circumstances.

For example, nightclub insurance would require a different type of coverage from an off-licence because of the range of risks involved in a building where alcohol is sold and drunk, as opposed to a shop where it is sold but not drunk.

However, there are some particular niche circumstances where a very specific type of policy needs to be written, and a considerable number of them involve a particular part of someone’s body, almost always a celebrity.

These have included over the years the walrus moustache of Australian cricketer Merv Hughes, the teeth of the late comedian Ken Dodd, the legs of several actors and dancers, the vocal cords of many singers and the taste buds of a famed food critic.

The reasons for these have varied considerably depending on how long the policy lasted and the nature of the celebrity involved.

One example of this was the famed hair of NFL defensive player Troy Polamalu, who had his three-foot-long hair insured with the help of Proctor & Gamble, the owners of the Head & Shoulders shampoo brand he was endorsing at the time.

In other cases, a celebrity’s considerable income is seen to be directly related to a particular part of their body, such as a singer’s distinctive voice or the legs of a dancer or athlete.

Pat McAfee, a kicker in the NFL, had his legs insured by Lloyds of London on the last year of his contract, to ensure that in the event he was injured and forced to retire, he could cash out.

In other cases, it is a show of support for a particular cause. The carpools for the vehicles involved in the Montgomery bus boycott that protested against racial segregation were insured by Lloyds of London in case they were damaged.