?The participants in an impending duathlon – that’s 10km run and 20km cycle ride to you and I – to be held north of the border are taking no chances.

While these hardened athletes are prepared to risk life and limb on the windy Scottish shores, they are insured – by Royal & SunAlliance – to the tune of £1m against an attack from, or even a sighting of, the Loch Ness monster.

Could the thought of giving the organisers of the First Monster Duathlon a hefty payday succeed where generations of beastie hunters have failed, in convincing Nessie to rear her ugly head? Backchat will be watching.