Ten great email disasters

1. Chat-up cheese

Joseph Dobbie briefly met a woman at a barbecue party. He later acquired her email address and sent her this toe-curling message describing her smile as "the freshest of my special memories" adding that he was sure she would "be able to see sincerity where others would see cliche". Instead, she forwarded the message to her sister and millions ended up reading it. Dobbie had included his phone number on the message and was bombarded with mocking calls from around the globe.

2. Insult the aged

Headmaster Patrick Hazlewood and his school's bursar Barry Worth jointly received an emailed complaint from local pensioner Mary Kelly about some misbehaviour by their pupils.