City girl apologies over 'control freak' party email

"On the occasion of her 21st birthday bash at the Ritz Hotel, however, bank worker Lucy Gao decided there would be none of these problems.

She sent a detailed e-mail to 39 of her friends setting out the schedule for the evening. It gave them staggered time slots for arrival and told them what to wear and even what to say.

There were also helpful hints such as: ‘It goes without saying that the more upper-class you dress, the less likely you shall be denied entry.’

The meticulous Miss Gao, however, saw her best-laid plans backfire on her. One colleague at Citigroup bank was so stunned by the message that he forwarded it on to a friend. She in turn sent it to 12 colleagues in her department with four additional words at the top – ‘Her best yet … enjoy’.

And as always seems to happen in these cases, the e-mail has pinged around the world, entertaining bank workers by the thousand."

Charming ...