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28/02/2011 - Police hunt for shop robbers - Police are appealing for witnesses after a robbery at a shop in Newcastle.
28/02/2011 - Paper recycler ran unsafe premises - A company which committed 16 fire safety crimes has been fined £40,000.
25/02/2011 - Farm owners fined over worker fall - A 67-year-old worker literally fell victim to lax safety standards at a farm near Holsworthy when he plunged 12 feet through the roof of a barn he was working on.
25/02/2011 - Firm fined £20,000 over man's burns - A construction firm has been fined £20,000 after a teenage worker suffered serious burns while working on a lighting tower.
24/02/2011 - Power firm fined over man's death - A power company has been fined £130,000 after a man suffered fatal injuries when a 700kg bale of straw fell on to him.
24/02/2011 - Ritchie's pub music plans withdrawn - Film director Guy Ritchie's plans for live music at his London Mayfair pub have stalled after objections from police and the parish priest.
24/02/2011 - Firm fined for safety breaches - Deliberately bypassing safety locks on dangerous machinery, not once but twice, has landed a manufacturing company in trouble.
24/02/2011 - Firms fined over electric shock - Two construction firms have been ordered to pay a total of nearly £13,000 after a worker received an electric shock.
23/02/2011 - Thieves make off with rhino head - A valuable black rhino head has been stolen from an auction house, leading to worries it could be ground down and used as ingredients in black-market Chinese medicines.
23/02/2011 - Firm fined £15,000 over roof risks - A building firm has been fined £15,000 for leaving staff to work on a roof without the right safety precautions.
22/02/2011 - Factory workers seriously injured - The owner of Cranswick Convenience Foods has been prosecuted for safety failings which led to two workers being seriously hurt at a factory in Barnsley.
22/02/2011 - Maintenance firms 'need tax cuts' - Sales tax charged to firms which carry out home repair and maintenance work should be slashed to help the industry return to healthy profits, a surveyors' group has said.
21/02/2011 - Firm fined after man injures hand - A global packaging company has been fined £5,000 after an employee had three of his fingers severed while trying to clear a machine.
21/02/2011 - Scottish food firms get £3m boost - Twenty-two food and drink projects across Scotland are to share £3m in government cash.
18/02/2011 - Covent Garden pub gets top award - A Covent Garden pub has been named national pub of the year.
18/02/2011 - Bed bug 'factsheet' for landlords - A new guidance has been produced for landlords and tenants giving out information on bed bugs and ways to tackle the parasites, following reports of infestation spreading worldwide.
17/02/2011 - Family rescued from gas-filled home - Fire crews have rescued a family after poisonous gas leaked through the property due to faulty plumbing.
17/02/2011 - Company fined over worker injury - A Wimbledon-based carpentry firm has been fined £15,000 after one of its workers cut off part of his right index finger when using a circular saw.
16/02/2011 - Firm guilty over worker's death - Cotswold Geotechnical (Holdings) has become the first firm to be convicted under new corporate manslaughter legislation after a geologist was killed in a pit collapse.
16/02/2011 - Number of 'vacant shops rises' - The UK high street faces "the greatest challenge for survival in its history", with figures revealing a continuing rise in the number of boarded-up shops.
15/02/2011 - Firm fined over worker in coma - A construction firm has been fined £15,000 after a worker was left in a coma following an accident at work.
15/02/2011 - Building 'left at risk of collapse' - A builder has appeared in court after he left a building at risk of collapse, putting workers and the public in danger.
14/02/2011 - Bad weather hits hotel industry - Scotland's hotel industry witnessed huge falls in occupancy levels and revenue last December, mainly due to the bad weather, according to new figures released by accountancy firm PKF.
14/02/2011 - Family saved from restaurant blaze - Some 70 firefighters have rescued a family of five from a burning flat in Glasgow.
11/02/2011 - Royal wedding extends opening hours - Plans to allow pubs to open later over the weekend following the royal weekend are to be extended to all licensed venues, the Home Office has said.
11/02/2011 - Armed robber targets bookmakers - An armed robber has stolen cash during a raid at a Newark bookmakers.
10/02/2011 - Popularity of renting 'on the rise' - A new survey by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has found a change in Britons' attitude towards renting, with more people considering it as a property option.
10/02/2011 - World famous cake shop closes down - World famous Cambridge cake shop, Fitzbillies, has shut, with a sign in the window merely saying "we are closed".
09/02/2011 - QV Foods fined over box accident - A food company has been fined £15,000 after a woman worker was badly hurt by a crate falling from a forklift truck.
09/02/2011 - OAP was not secured in fatal crash - An elderly woman suffered fatal injuries in a crash after staff at Age Concern Westminster failed to secure her into her wheelchair while on a minibus, a court heard.
08/02/2011 - Pensioner attacks gang with handbag - Four suspected robbers are being held by police thanks to the actions of an unlikely have-a-go-hero.
08/02/2011 - Retail boosted by January shoppers - January retail sales were boosted by shoppers eager to hit the high street after their enforced exile at home due to the winter weather, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
07/02/2011 - Firm fined after fall from height - An employee was injured when he fell more than 10ft from unsafe scaffolding, leading to a fine for the South Yorkshire glazing firm that employed him.
07/02/2011 - Fire sees luxury hotel evacuated - Guests at a five-star hotel in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales have been evacuated due to a fire.
04/02/2011 - Bad ladder caused man to break back - A faulty ladder at a commercial vehicle garage left a worker with a broken back and still unable to work nearly a year later, magistrates have learned.
04/02/2011 - Company fined for 33,000-volt shock - A steel company has been ordered to pay £96,000 for failing to protect a worker who was burned in a 33,000-volt shock.
03/02/2011 - Landlords deliver benefits blow - The Government has been urged to rethink proposals that could lead to a housing benefit crisis after research revealed landlords could walk away from the sector.
03/02/2011 - Women 'to lead start-up revolution' - The UK is set to see an "explosion" of female entrepreneurs, led by a new generation of spirited young women, a new report predicts.
02/02/2011 - Construction faces 'tough year' - The construction sector managed to return to growth last month following December's bad weather but 2011 could still be a year of disappointment and dashed hopes, a survey has shown.
02/02/2011 - Workman suffers electric shock - A lack of safety checks and inadequate supervision left a 52-year-old worker nursing serious burns from a 11,000 volt electric shock.
01/02/2011 - Group seeks resort compensation - A newly-married couple have started a fight for compensation after their wedding break was ruined by illness at a Turkish holiday resort.
01/02/2011 - Bakery fined over severed fingers - A bakery has been fined after an employee severed two fingers while operating unsafe machinery.
31/01/2011 - £80,000 fine for council over death - The death of a 90-year-old woman in a fall through an access hole at her home has seen a council fined £80,000.
31/01/2011 - Firm fined over unsafe kebab towers - A kebab meat 'towers' manufacturer has been fined because proper safety guards were not put in place on machines designed to skin, cut and mince frozen meat.
28/01/2011 - VAT increase slows sales growth - A report from the CBI has revealed that the VAT increase in January has hit sales in the UK, with fewer people spending in spite of extensive discounts across stores.
28/01/2011 - Council fined for industrial injury - Cheshire East Council has been fined £5,300 after a maintenance worker suffered an industrial injury triggered by continuous use of vibrating hand-held machinery.
27/01/2011 - Lorry death family awarded £178,357 - A family has been awarded £178,357 in damages after an LGV driving instructor was killed by a moving lorry.
27/01/2011 - Steelwork firm fined after accident - A steelwork company has been fined £12,500 after an employee lost one of his fingers and badly damaged two others in a drilling machine accident.
26/01/2011 - Firm fined over worker's roof fall - A farm employee fractured his skull in two places when he fell through a barn roof while repairing material, a court has heard.
26/01/2011 - Carbon monoxide 'causes 600 deaths' - Carbon monoxide poisoning has caused almost 600 deaths in the UK in the last 15 years, a charity has revealed.
25/01/2011 - Pubs urge freeze on alcohol duty - The Government has been urged not to raise alcohol duty again in this year's Budget after figures showed there has been a slump in sales of beer.
25/01/2011 - Twelve hurt in dental lab explosion - A suspected gas explosion at a dental laboratory near Wolverhampton injured several members of staff, police said.
24/01/2011 - Beer may become 10% more expensive - A pint of beer could increase in price by 10% as drinks firms pass on the expense of the rise in both VAT and the cost of barley.
24/01/2011 - Crane victim suffered broken bones - A steel erector suffered multiple broken bones when an overhead crane struck the "cherry picker" he was working in as he drilled holes in the roof of a paint workshop.
21/01/2011 - Fine after man shatters leg in fall - A demolition worker is unlikely to work in the construction industry again after he shattered his leg and broke his wrist when he fell 7ft through a garage roof.
21/01/2011 - Dangerous demolition firm fined - Safety officials had to stop a demolition job in Leicester city centre because of dangerous working practices across the site.
19/01/2011 - Worker crushed to death by glass - A retail display company's failure to ensure the safety of staff left an agency worker dead, crushed under a stack of glass while working at a shipping container in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.
19/01/2011 - Firm fined over worker's arm injury - An Essex furniture firm has been fined £12,500 after an employee nearly lost his arm working with an industrial saw he was not adequately trained to use.
18/01/2011 - First fire alarm worker prosecuted - A court has ordered a former retained fire fighter to pay £11,000 in fine and costs for failing to maintain a fire alarm system at a care home in Trafford.
18/01/2011 - Firm fined over asbestos exposure - Health and safety breaches that led to a plumber being exposed to over 50 times the legal limit for asbestos have landed a company owned by Rotherham Council a £7,000 fine.
17/01/2011 - Gritter driver in road accident - A gritter driver suffered serious leg injuries when the vehicle he was driving skidded on black ice and fell 30ft (9m) down a bank.
17/01/2011 - Van firm fined £20,000 after fall - A Cardiff-based truck and van company has been fined £20,000 after a worker fractured his hip when he fell from a makeshift platform attached to a fork lift truck.
14/01/2011 - Firm fined after tank falls on man - A steel manufacturer has been handed a £15,000 fine after a worker suffered multiple injuries after a three-tonne tank fell on him.
14/01/2011 - Builders fined for safety breach - A Cheltenham building contractor has been fined £2,000 after safety officers found staff were allowed to lift heavy building materials at height with no measures in place to prevent falls.
13/01/2011 - Heavy fine for food packaging firm - Manchester-based food packaging firm Elliott Absorbent Products has been ordered to pay a fine of £27,500 for flouting safety regulations after one of its workers suffered serious injuries after being pulled into a machine.
13/01/2011 - Firm fined over worker's injury - A Suffolk building firm has been fined £10,000 over a workplace accident in which an employee's thumb and a finger were sawn off by a moulding machine.
12/01/2011 - Pub landlord injured in fryer blast - An investigation has been launched after a fryer at a South Shields put overheated and exploded, causing serious injuries to its landlord.
12/01/2011 - Widow gets asbestos death payout - A widow will receive a substantial amount of compensation from a university in an out-of-court settlement, after her husband died of cancer caused by his exposure to asbestos during experiments he performed.
11/01/2011 - New guidance on hand-fed platens - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued fresh guidance to all users of hand-fed platen machines to alert them to the potential risk of serious or fatal injuries.
11/01/2011 - Farmer, 84, crushed by tractor - A farmer died as a result of injuries from being run over by his own tractor nearly three years ago, a fatal accident inquiry has concluded.
10/01/2011 - 41% landlords 'plan rent increase' - More than two out of five private sector landlords are planning to increase their rents over the next 12 months, according to a new study.
10/01/2011 - Snow plough driver injured in crash - One of Aberdeen's notoriously snowbound roads has witnessed an accident as a snow plough carrying two workers crashed into a snow bank.
07/01/2011 - Firms fined £62,000 over fall death - Two firms have been fined a total of £62,000 over the death of a workman who fell through a rooflight.
07/01/2011 - Council fined £6,000 over sculpture - A council has been fined £6,000 after a sculpture in a play area broke a boy's foot.
06/01/2011 - Time called on drink measure rules - Beer drinkers will soon be able to order two-thirds of a pint in the pub after the Government announced it would scrap "unnecessary" regulations restricting measures of drinks.
06/01/2011 - Businesses flooded by burst pipes - Burst pipes caused by ice melting after the recent cold weather resulted in extensive flooding in many empty buildings and offices over the Christmas break.
05/01/2011 - Fireworks boss jailed over payout - An employer has been jailed after he failed to pay compensation to a worker who was blinded during a fireworks display.
05/01/2011 - Firm fined after telehandler crush - Hochtief Construction AG has been fined £266,000 after a telehandler operator was crushed to death.
04/01/2011 - Manufacturer fined over man's death - A packaging manufacturer has been fined after a maintenance worker suffered fatal head injuries at a factory.
04/01/2011 - Firms fined over worker's death - A worker was engulfed in flames and suffered burns to the majority of his body when aerosol cannisters caught fire at a scrapyard, a court has heard.
31/12/2010 - Company fined after worker death - A Dutch fumigation company has been fined £60,000 after a 42-year-old worker fell to his death from a ladder.
31/12/2010 - Care home death firm fined £80,000 - A company that ran a care home where a resident died after being restrained by staff has been fined £80,000.
30/12/2010 - Salmon freeze to death at centre - Staff at a government research centre on the North Antrim coast struggled to keep salmon stocks alive in the freezing conditions last week.
30/12/2010 - Worker crushed by reversing lorry - A worker at a stationery supply firm broke his collarbone and forearm when he got caught between a reversing lorry and a loading platform.
29/12/2010 - Firm fined after worker hurts leg - A sawmilling company has been fined £20,000 after a worker seriously injured his leg trying to unblock a machine used to process wooden logs into planks.
29/12/2010 - Web tool for shops to assess risks - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed a demonstration online risk assessment tool that can be used by employers in low-risk shops.
24/12/2010 - Firm fined over crane ladder plunge - A timber merchant has been fined £5,000 after a subcontractor hired to fix an overhead crane system fell about 18ft from a ladder following an electric shock.
24/12/2010 - Firm fined over allergic reactions - A number of staff at a pharmaceutical company were sensitised to a potent substance and developed allergic contact dermatitis, leading to a fine for the firm.
23/12/2010 - Restaurant employs robot servers - A restaurant in China is drawing much praise for the quality of its service, but its staff are taking it all in their stride.
23/12/2010 - Builder charged for unsanitary site - A builder has appeared in court over charges that the conditions his employees had to work in were unsanitary and dangerous.
22/12/2010 - Fencing firm ignores HSE orders - A Gloucester fencing firm has been fined after ignoring orders to improve its facilities.
22/12/2010 - Worker crushed by reversing truck - A Buckinghamshire engineering firm has been fined £30,000 after an untrained banksman was crushed to death on site.
21/12/2010 - TV star flushes out flood causes - TV presenter Sarah Beeny will be plunged into toilet and sink waste to highlight the dangers of blocking drains.
21/12/2010 - BT gives dying man £115,000 payout - BT is to pay compensation to a former employee who is dying from mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos.
20/12/2010 - Classic TV ad feather 'stolen' - A feather that was used in a famous TV ad of the 1980s has been stolen from Britain's highest pub, the establishment's owner has said.
20/12/2010 - Firm fined after roofer breaks back - A building firm has been fined £10,000 after a roofing contractor fell through a skylight and broke his back.
16/12/2010 - Toxic sofa victims receive £1,800 - More than 400 people who suffered burns to the skin after buying "toxic sofas" will receive £1,800, a judge ruled.
16/12/2010 - Business rate hike 'risks recovery' - Private sector recovery will be at risk if the Government continues with its plans to impose an extra £400 million a year on small businesses, the property industry warned.
15/12/2010 - Builders' lives endangered at bar - A construction firm has been fined after workers' lives were put in danger at a Manchester karaoke bar.
15/12/2010 - Christmas shopping time 'condensed' - With severe winter conditions having affected travel in the run-up to Christmas, shopping for the season has been condensed to two weeks leaving retailers anxious, a retail expert has said.
15/12/2010 - Tesco apologises after mice found - Tesco has apologised to a customer after she found baby mice in a multipack of crisps in a new store in Birmingham.
14/12/2010 - Lid firm fined over severed fingers - A Bury manufacturer has been fined £22,500 after a worker severed four fingers using a modified lid-punching machine.
13/12/2010 - Firms 'vulnerable to cyber attacks' - British companies are underestimating the "growing menace" of cyber criminals and are leaving themselves vulnerable to attacks, a study has claimed.
13/12/2010 - Steel firm fined for worker injury - A steel fabricating company based in Edinburgh has been fined after an employee suffered a seriously injured arm and hand when lifting steel plates.
10/12/2010 - Scrapyard boss jailed over waste - A scrapyard owner has been sent to prison for nine months after dumping an estimated 2,000 tonnes of contaminated waste.
10/12/2010 - RFID tagging 'aids stock control' - The inventors of a new electronic tagging system have revealed it could improve shop inventory and security systems without invading customers' privacy.
09/12/2010 - House-hunters return to market - House hunters have increased for the first time in four months, according to new figures.
09/12/2010 - Plumber fined over gas safety con - A Middlesex plumber who put his customers at risk by illegally working on domestic gas appliances has been fined £2,500.
08/12/2010 - OAP breached food hygiene laws - A 70-year-old woman who provided sandwiches which accidentally poisoned 47 police officers has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
08/12/2010 - X Factor fans treated at live gig - Thirty-five fans of X Factor hopefuls One Direction had to be treated at an open-air gig in Wolverhampton.
07/12/2010 - Man paralysed at paper company - A man has been left paralysed from the chest down after he was injured by a two tonne reel of paper at a major paper producer in North Wales, leading to a six-figure fine for the company.
07/12/2010 - Shopworkers back assault proposals - Shopworkers tired of risking their safety in the workplace have backed proposals to help protect them from assaults.
06/12/2010 - Seven stuck in pub for eight days - One of Britain's highest pubs had been cut off as a result of heavy snow enveloping parts of the country, trapping seven people for eight days, it has been revealed.
06/12/2010 - 'Opportunity' for private landlords - There is a big opportunity for private landlords because of tight limits on growth in both the social and owner occupied sectors, a housing expert has said.
03/12/2010 - Takeaway closed after mice found - A Chinese takeaway in Essex has been ordered to shut down by health officials after two live mice were found in a box of noodles.
03/12/2010 - Farm barn collapse sheep rescued - Some 200 sheep have been rescued after a barn roof caved in on them due to the heavy snow.
02/12/2010 - Work accident blinds man in one eye - A demolition firm has appeared in court after a serious workplace accident left an employee blind in one eye.
02/12/2010 - Snow causes widespread travel chaos - Millions of people have failed to get to work as the cold snap tightens its grip on the UK, causing widespread travel disruptions.
02/12/2010 - Warning on misleading price offers - The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has vowed to take action against retailers who trick customers with misleading price offers.
01/12/2010 - Potato firm fined over cable burns - A potato company has been prosecuted after one of its workers was severely injured by an overhead power cable.
01/12/2010 - Drink 'top target for shoplifters' - Shoplifters are likely to target alcohol, women's clothing and fashion accessories this festive season, according to a retail expert.
30/11/2010 - Builder fined for safety failings - Failing to ensure the safety of his staff and the public has left a Chesterfield builder with a fine of thousands of pounds.
29/11/2010 - No guard left man needing stitches - An employee at a printing firm was so severely injured by a dangerous machine that he had to stay off work for six weeks, a court has learned.
29/11/2010 - Carbon monoxide blamed for death - A body of a man discovered in a Chinese takeaway in Irvinestown is the result of carbon monoxide poisoning, police have confirmed.
26/11/2010 - Gas company fined over car crash - Southern Gas Networks, the gas transportation company, has been fined over an incident in which a car turned on its side after it hit a metal plate during road works.
26/11/2010 - Company owner fined over asbestos - Four employees of a window and conservatory installation firm face a lifetime of worry over their health after being exposed to asbestos.
25/11/2010 - Tenants expecting rent increases - The number of properties in the rental sector is not keeping up with demand, causing 42 per cent of people who rent to expect the cost of letting a home to rise over the next year, a survey has revealed.
25/11/2010 - £20,000 fine for fireball accident - A Cumbrian manufacturer has been fined £20,000 after a welder suffered serious burns when he was engulfed by a fireball.
24/11/2010 - Serial shoplifter banned from M&S - A judge has ordered a thief to find somewhere else to shop after he targeted Marks & Spencer stores across London in a six-month crime spree.
24/11/2010 - Firm fined after crane hook death - A recycling company based in Cardiff has been fined more than £230,000 after one of its employees was killed by a crane hook.
23/11/2010 - Firm fined after employee's death - A galvanising company has been fined £1,500 after a 49-year-old man was crushed to death.
23/11/2010 - Waste firm fined after leg injury - A waste management company has been ordered to pay more than £21,400 in fines and costs after a worker's leg was crushed between two steel frames.
22/11/2010 - Rental costs reach record high - The average rent across England and Wales rose 0.4% to a record high of £691 in October, figures from LSL Property Services show.
22/11/2010 - Food firm fined for blade incident - An international frozen food firm has been fined over an incident when a worker was injured by the moving blades of an industrial freezer.
19/11/2010 - Landscape firm fined over insurance - A landscaping company has been fined after it failed to purchase compulsory insurance to protect its employees.
19/11/2010 - Gas heaters recalled due to fault - A company which sells portable gas heaters has issued a recall on around 5,000 of its products after it was found they could be emitting carbon monoxide.
18/11/2010 - Firm fined after saw crushes worker - A haulage firm has been fined £5,000 after a worker was crushed by an industrial power saw, leaving him brain damaged and partially blind.
18/11/2010 - Firm fined after worker injured - A construction worker suffered second degree burns to his face and neck when he cut through a power cable, leading to a prosecution and fine for the company he worked for.
17/11/2010 - Firms fined £24,000 over injuries - Three firms have been fined £24,500 in total after a man suffered serious leg injuries when he was trapped under a prefabricated wall.
17/11/2010 - Tesco sells alcohol to 16 year old - A 16-year-old was able to buy alcohol as part of a police sting at a self-service check-out in a Tesco store.
16/11/2010 - Recycling company fined £13,000 - A recycling firm has been fined £13,000 after nitrogen gas in a machine caused a worker to pass out and have to be rescued by a colleague.
16/11/2010 - Cement firm fined over explosion - A cement firm has been prosecuted after one of its workers received burns in a blast when he was inspecting a fault with an energy meter.
15/11/2010 - IHG reports room rate revenue rise - InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) said that recovery in the sector was picking up pace, after reporting growth in room rates for the first time in almost two years.
15/11/2010 - Caution over new smoking rules - An employment law expert is urging employers to be careful while enforcing smoking break rules, to avoid adverse consequences.
12/11/2010 - Hotels to 'personalise' services - Hotels could end up personalising food and furniture for guests in the near future as a result of growing demand, according to a report.
12/11/2010 - Buy-to-let market continues revival - The buy-to-let market continued its revival into the third quarter amid strong rental demand, latest figures have revealed.
11/11/2010 - Boss fined over asbestos failings - A refurbishment company boss has been fined for failing to provide his workers with asbestos awareness training.
11/11/2010 - Firm fined after worker breaks back - A firm has been fined after safety breaches led to a lorry driver breaking his back.
10/11/2010 - October sees slow sales growth - Retail sales growth went up slightly in the UK during the last month as a result of food prices rising, however, customer confidence remained low during the same period, according to a report.
10/11/2010 - Online guide to tackle squatters - An online guide to prevent people from squatting on their properties has been published.
09/11/2010 - Charity store auctions 'Dali' print - A purported lithograph of a Salvador Dali work - which could be worth $2,000-$3,000 (£1,250-£1,875) if found to be authentic - is being auctioned off at a Colorado Goodwill charity store.
09/11/2010 - Firm fined after machine cuts hand - An aeroplane manufacturing company has been fined £8,000 after an employee's hand was badly injured by machinery.
08/11/2010 - Council to allow home businesses - Residents in a London borough could soon be running businesses from their own home thanks to a planned change in tenancy rules.
08/11/2010 - Landlord confidence soaring: Study - A continued rise in the demand for rented accommodation has led to almost a third of landlords trying to increase their property portfolio, a new study has claimed.
05/11/2010 - Asbestos found in Hastings Pier - Workers clearing dangerous debris from the burnt-out Hastings Pier have discovered asbestos, it has emerged.
05/11/2010 - Firm fined after worker snaps wrist - A Cardiff manufacturing firm has been fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £6,691 in costs after a worker broke his wrist when his glove became entangled in an unguarded drill.
04/11/2010 - Tyre firm fined over worker injury - A Wolverhampton tyre company has been fined £18,250 after a teenage apprentice fractured his skull while maintaining machinery.
04/11/2010 - Serious farm injuries on the rise - There has been a 40% increase in the number of major injuries sustained on British farms in the past three years, official figures have revealed.
03/11/2010 - Landlords face home insulation law - The Government is set to introduce a new legislation that could force private landlords to make improvements to energy-leaking homes.
03/11/2010 - Rise in 'accidental landlords' - A growing number of homeowners are turning into "accidental landlords" as they struggle to sell their property for want of buyers in the market, new research suggests.
02/11/2010 - Glass fears prompt lager recall - Carlsberg has issued a recall of bottles of lager over concerns they may be contaminated with small pieces of glass.
02/11/2010 - Company fined over docks death - A Durham firm has been fined £120,000 for safety breaches following the death of a man at a coal processing plant.
01/11/2010 - Carroll 'allowed to stay in hotel' - A court has allowed footballer Andy Carroll to stay in a hotel with his Newcastle United team-mates before Sunday's fixture.
01/11/2010 - HSE records fall in work deaths - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed that construction workers are still the most likely to suffer accidents, despite death and injury tolls in construction declining in recent years.
29/10/2010 - Boost for NewcastleGateshead hotels - Hotel occupancy in Newcastle and Gateshead registered strong growth this summer despite the economic uncertainties, new figures show.
29/10/2010 - Retailers show Christmas optimism - Sales growth may have slowed down this month but high street retailers are still expecting a pre-Christmas boost, a new survey has suggested.
28/10/2010 - Firm faces fine after mower injury - A Chorley-based firm has admitted liability after a landscape gardener was blinded in one eye.
28/10/2010 - Pizza manufacturer fined £15,000 - A pizza manufacturer has been fined £15,000 after leaving employees at risk of falling four metres onto a concrete floor below, despite warnings from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
27/10/2010 - Man fined after worker loses limb - A partner in a family-run farming firm has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £1,698 in costs after a man had to have his leg amputated when he attempted to clear a blockage on a harvesting machine.
27/10/2010 - Companies fined over fall death - Two construction firms have been fined after a worker fell from scaffolding in Lancashire and later died in hospital.
26/10/2010 - Company fined over noise levels - A Lancashire-based company that makes flooring surfaces for horse riding centres has been fined £16,000 after it failed to reduce noise levels at its factory.
26/10/2010 - Hostel hit by suspected norovirus - A suspected outbreak of the norovirus bug has left over 20 people ill at the Glasgow Euro Hostel, according to health chiefs.
25/10/2010 - Friendly landlord sign of good pub - Wi-fi and additional menu items have little to do with ensuring the success of a pub, but a smiling landlord could make all the difference, according to a poll.
25/10/2010 - Snow Code encourages 'common sense' - Concerned shopkeepers will be able to clear ice from their entrances and carry on with regular business following the Government's new Snow Code.
22/10/2010 - Firm fined over workers' injuries - A company that makes rubber hoses has been hit with a hefty £12,000 fine after three employees were injured using the same piece of machinery over two months.
22/10/2010 - Firms can handle health and safety - Office-based businesses should be able to handle health and safety measures without help from a consultant, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
21/10/2010 - HSE introduces risk assessment tool - A risk assessment test on the internet will allow employers to evaluate all hazards at the workplace in 20 minutes.
21/10/2010 - Historic Scottish hotel burnt down - Scotland has lost one of its most historic hotels to a fire, it has been reported.
20/10/2010 - Shoplifting 'cost UK stores £4.4bn' - Shoplifters cost UK retailers £4.4 billion in stock in the 12 months to June 30, new figures have shown.
20/10/2010 - Banksy tags hotel with artwork - A mural, claimed to be by world-famous graffiti artist Banksy, appeared overnight on a hotel wall in Devon, it has emerged.
19/10/2010 - Hotels out of old buildings hailed - Hotels designed out of old buildings are dominating a list of best hotels, it has been announced.
19/10/2010 - Regional hotels see revenues rise - Revenues of regional hotels rose over the summer buoyed by higher occupancy and the first growth in room rates in two years, new figures show.
18/10/2010 - Villagers create gallery from kiosk - Residents of a village in Cambridgeshire have transformed an old unused phone kiosk into a community art gallery.
18/10/2010 - Have-a-go heroes tackle thieves - A broad daylight jewellery heist was foiled by a group of passers-by in London on October 15.
15/10/2010 - Stylist warning after nose collapse - A hairdresser has warned others in the industry about the dangers of inhaling human hairs after her nose collapsed.
15/10/2010 - Builder loses arm in work accident - A builder working at a primary school has had his arm ripped off at the shoulder in an accident involving a cement mixer.
14/10/2010 - Firm fined for lack of insurance - A steel pipework manufacturer has been fined for not buying the correct insurance to protect its workers.
14/10/2010 - Fencing producer fined £14,000 - A fencing producer in Manchester has been fined £14,000 for endangering the safety of its workers.
13/10/2010 - Three injured in waste plant blaze - Three people are recovering in hospital after suffering burns in a major fire at a waste management plant in Lancashire on Tuesday.
13/10/2010 - Firm fined over worker head injury - The owner of a Bristol lighting company has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £1,800 costs after an employee was injured by unsafe machinery in an incident in February.
12/10/2010 - Sales of non-food items slow down - Latest retail figures have shown that sales growth slowed sharply last month as demand for non-food goods fell for the first time in a year.
12/10/2010 - House prices fell in September - House prices fell for the third consecutive month as properties continued to flood on to the market in September, research has revealed.
11/10/2010 - Thieves steal cancer centre roof - A support centre for cancer patients has been forced to close its doors temporarily after thieves stole lead roofing from the building.
11/10/2010 - Firm fined after worker skins hand - A chicken processing company could be saddled with higher liability insurance rates in the future after a worker injured his hand in an accident at work.
08/10/2010 - Drink sales below pre-slump levels - Alcohol sales levels are far lower than they were before the recession kicked in, despite the fact that some particular drinks are selling well again, new figures have revealed.
08/10/2010 - Veolia fined over roadside death - Veolia ES, the waste and recycling company, has been fined £225,000 over an incident in which a worker was killed while collecting rubbish from a busy road.
07/10/2010 - Farmer fined for polluting stream - A Lincolnshire farmer has been ordered to pay more than £14,000 after he was convicted of polluting a stream, according to the Environment Agency.
07/10/2010 - Firm fined over fatal work incident - A construction firm which pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety rules following the death of a man involved in an accident at work has been fined £10,000.
07/10/2010 - Pubs eliminated from guidebook - An increase in complaints about bad service has led to the exclusion of nearly 400 UK pubs from a well-known guidebook.
07/10/2010 - Pub chain fined over landlord death - A pub chain has been fined £300,000 after a landlord died from carbon monoxide poisoning while managing a pub in Liverpool.
05/10/2010 - Couple fined over worker injury - A Lancashire couple have been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an employee was seriously hurt twice in less than two months at a pine furniture workshop in Lancashire.
05/10/2010 - Caravan firm fined for barn death - A Lincolnshire-based caravan park operator has been fined after a worker fell to his death in a hay barn on the outskirts of Doncaster.
04/10/2010 - Company fined over worker fall - A Hounslow company has been fined after a man was injured when he fell 4m from a roof he was working on.
04/10/2010 - Owner fined for fairground accident - A fairground ride owner and a safety inspector have been fined after two people were thrown from an attraction during the British Grand Prix weekend in 2008.
01/10/2010 - Head faces fine over roof fall - A headteacher is facing a fine after a pupil fell through a school roof and fractured his skull.
01/10/2010 - Alcohol licences hit record high - There are now more premises licensed to sell alcohol in Britain than ever before, according to official figures released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
30/09/2010 - Summons for fire death hotel owners - The owners of a Newquay hotel in which three people died are to be prosecuted for alleged breaches of the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005.
30/09/2010 - Norovirus probe at luxury hotel - Health officials are investigating after 19 people became ill in a suspected outbreak of the norovirus bug at a top Glasgow hotel.
29/09/2010 - Firms fined over toxic gas death - Crisp maker Walkers and Leicestershire chemical supplier Omnichem have been handed fines totalling £350,000 over the death of a worker from toxic gas inhalation.
29/09/2010 - Chicken company fined over injuries - A Norfolk chicken company has been fined £8,000 over two separate workplace accidents, including one in which an employee skinned his own hand.
28/09/2010 - Black Country glass maker fined - A Black Country court has ordered a glass maker to pay £3,600 in fines after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found its premises to be contaminated by lead.
28/09/2010 - Teacher in court after student fall - A Merseyside head teacher has appeared in court after he took a group of "slightly inebriated" students onto the roof, where one of them fell through a skylight.
27/09/2010 - Company fined over worker death - An engineering firm in Preston has been fined over an incident in which a worker died after becoming entangled in machinery.
24/09/2010 - Man dies at football training site - A worker died while helping to build a Premier League football club's training academy, leading to a £160,000 fine for the construction company.
24/09/2010 - Plaques stolen from Salford graves - Thieves in Salford have stolen more than 250 metal plaques from cemetery headstones, according to police.
23/09/2010 - Glue helps firms foil cash robbers - Some companies are using an extra strong glue to stop cash robbers stealing piles of notes, the police have said.
23/09/2010 - Computers stolen in school raid - Burglars who broke into a primary school in Warwickshire stole several computers before escaping in a van, police said.
22/09/2010 - Fabric manufacturer fined £13,500 - A fabric manufacturer has been fined £13,500 after an employee's arm was crushed in a machine.
21/09/2010 - Landlord couple fined for gas work - A married couple who replaced a gas boiler when they were not qualified to do so in a house they rented out in Bristol have been fined a total of £6,500.
21/09/2010 - Firm fined £20,000 after man dies - A business and its director have been fined £20,000 after a man was killed by the blade of an industrial mixing machine.
20/09/2010 - Parrot stops burglars in tracks - Burglars were thwarted from stealing a parrot when the exotic bird fought back.
20/09/2010 - Last orders called at 893 pubs - A national housing body has warned that the recent collapse of several village pubs and shops might mean the end of traditional village life as we know it.
17/09/2010 - Health warning over cleaning cloth - More than half of the cleaning cloths used in restaurant and take-away kitchens contain high bacteria levels, leading to poor hygiene and the risk of cross-contamination, experts have warned.
17/09/2010 - Food for animals served in zoo cafe - A zoo in Bedfordshire has admitted that its cafe cooked and served vegetables donated to feed animals.
16/09/2010 - Firm in hot water over coffee blast - Sainsbury's could face legal action after one of its coffee machines exploded in a branch in Farnborough, Hampshire, injuring seven people.
16/09/2010 - Glass firm fined over height risks - A Bradford-based glass company that risked the lives of its employees has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
15/09/2010 - MoD staff were exposed to asbestos - Workers at a Ministry of Defence base were exposed to deadly asbestos fibres by a subsidiary of a giant construction company, a court has learned.
15/09/2010 - Newcastle City Council fined by HSE - Newcastle City Council could be forced to pay higher liability insurance rates after a five-year-old girl was injured by an exhibit at one of their museums.
14/09/2010 - Firm fined for safety violation - A scrap metal company has been fined for breaching safety regulation after a security guard injured himself by falling into water while helping to berth a vessel.
14/09/2010 - Firm fined after two staff injured - After two members of staff were badly injured in separate incidents less than three months apart, a Troon sawmilling firm has been fined a total of £28,000.
13/09/2010 - UK visits see annual rise of 5% - The estimated number of overseas residents who visited the UK in July rose year-on-year by 5%, official figures have shown.
13/09/2010 - Divide in shop vacancy rates - LDC - The number of vacant shops in the North is higher than that in the South, despite a slowdown in the rate of closures across the UK, new figures have shown.
10/09/2010 - Crime 'costs small firms £3,000' - More than two-thirds (64%) of small businesses have lost up to £3,000 due to crime against them over the past year, a new report has shown.
10/09/2010 - Firm prosecuted over work accident - A Haringey-based building firm has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a worker's hand was injured when it was caught in a machine at a workshop in Willesden, Brent.
09/09/2010 - New guard for Banksy art in shop - Owners of a store have strengthened security to safeguard two original artworks that were secretly installed in the shop by a famous artist.
09/09/2010 - Trust prosecuted over worker death - A charitable trust has been fined after an inexperienced builder was killed while working on a wooden classroom at a top boarding school run by the organisation.
08/09/2010 - Landlord illegally fitted boiler - The public has been warned to check gas fitters are properly registered after one landlord put the lives of his tenants and others at risk by illegally fitting a gas boiler.
08/09/2010 - Firm prosecuted over explosion - A joiner is extremely lucky not to have been electrocuted after a short circuit caused a localised electrical explosion - a safety glitch which led to a fine for the firm involved.
07/09/2010 - Pubs face closure in licence plans - Bars could be forced to close or slash their opening hours as part of a Government plan to tackle licensing laws and reduce pressure on the NHS.
07/09/2010 - Firm fined over blast at factory - An industrial bakeware manufacturer has been fined £10,000 after a worker suffered 60% burns in a explosion at its factory.
06/09/2010 - Body calls for fair tax on beer - Some 30,000 jobs could be created by taxing beer more fairly, according to an industry body.
06/09/2010 - Moped gang raid Vivienne Westwood - Thieves used two mopeds to smash into Vivienne Westwood's boutique in London and steal thousands of pounds worth of designer handbags, police said.
03/09/2010 - Engineer crushed to death in press - An engineer was crushed to death at a car parts factory after getting trapped in an industrial press, an inquest has heard.
03/09/2010 - Hunt for missing 'tiny people' - English Heritage is offering an amnesty for information on 10 miniature figures that have gone missing from an art exhibition in Northumberland.
02/09/2010 - Top restaurants charge £1 a minute - "Table-turning" policies are forcing people dining at top restaurants to spend more than £1 a minute for their meal, a survey by lastminute.com has found.
02/09/2010 - Air rifles stolen from Gleneagles - A number of air rifles have been stolen from a luxury hotel in Perthshire after it was robbed at the weekend, according to police.
01/09/2010 - Top Dublin hotel damaged in fire - One of Dublin's top hotels has been damaged in a fire that broke out in the building's seventh floor.
01/09/2010 - Haulage company fined over injury - A haulage company has been fined £5,000 after a member of staff was left with brain damage following an accident at work.
31/08/2010 - Hundreds of pigs die in farm blaze - A fire at a farm in Lincolnshire has killed hundreds of piglets and sows, according to the fire service.
31/08/2010 - CAMRA criticises Woolpack closure - An organisation that promotes and protects pubs says the closure of the one used as the "Woolpack" in Emmerdale could have been avoided if the Government had continued with plans for community ownership.
27/08/2010 - Building firms fined over fall - Two building firms have been fined a total of £125,000 after an employee was left with serious injuries having fallen 21 metres off a hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
27/08/2010 - Mum and child hurt at Sainsbury's - A mother and child have been injured in a supermarket after a wooden structure fell on them while they queueing for the checkout.
26/08/2010 - Worker's ladder fall leads to fine - A firm has been fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,188 over a worker's fall from a ladder, in which he broke his shoulder.
24/08/2010 - Shop fitters fined over asbestos - A company has been fined £4,000 after five workers were exposed to potentially fatal asbestos fibres at the Arndale Centre in Manchester.
24/08/2010 - Fine after crane load falls 118ft - A company has been fined £18,000 after a crane's four-tonne load crashed 118ft to the ground, narrowly missing a college footpath.
23/08/2010 - Thieves steal 400 young pheasants - Police are on the lookout for thieves who stole 400 young pheasants in raids on two farms in Leicestershire.
23/08/2010 - Rents up for sixth straight month - The average cost of rent is still going up in the UK, research has shown.
20/08/2010 - Car sprayers unaware of asthma risk - Car sprayers are continuing to put themselves at risk of developing asthma by failing to follow basic safety measures, a report has said.
20/08/2010 - Homebase face legal bid after death - Homebase is facing legal action from the son of an 83-year-old woman who fell down a flight of stairs at one of its stores and died.
19/08/2010 - London restaurant growth 'surging' - London's restaurant industry has displayed "extraordinary resilience" through the recession, with annual growth rates among the highest ever, a new report says.
19/08/2010 - E.coli family brings case to court - The family of two young brothers whose kidneys failed because they were infected with E.coli has begun a legal claim for damages against the farm accused of causing it.
18/08/2010 - Unsafe scaffold has man in plaster - A man was left with his foot in plaster for four months because his bosses failed to ensure his safety at work.
18/08/2010 - Serious work fall sees firm fined - A worker was left blind in one eye following a fall at work which has resulted in his employer being fined £8,000, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed.
17/08/2010 - Work stress affecting men more - Work-related stress is more likely to drive men to phone in sick than women, a survey has showed.
17/08/2010 - Worker's hand trapped in printer - A worker whose hand was trapped in the folding unit of a printer for nearly an hour was lucky to escape serious injury, it has been reported.
16/08/2010 - Blast at hotel in Melton Mowbray - Part of a hotel collapsed in Leicestershire after a water boiler exploded, forcing police to close the town's high street.
16/08/2010 - Robbers raid London jewellery shops - Thousands of pounds worth of jewellery has been stolen from a Grade I listed shopping arcade in the City of London.
13/08/2010 - Fire destroys Belfast social club - A social club in west Belfast has been consumed by flames, suspected to have started after robbers tried to sneak out cigarettes from the premises.
13/08/2010 - Gas fears force restaurant closures - Health officials have ordered the closure of two restaurants due to gas safety concerns following the death of two teenage friends from carbon monoxide poisoning in the area.
12/08/2010 - Carbon monoxide alarms debated - Ministers in Northern Ireland are to meet to discuss whether carbon monoxide detectors should be made compulsory after two school friends were killed by a gas leak.
12/08/2010 - Firm fined £96,000 over crush death - A quarrying firm has been fined £96,000 after an employee was crushed to death under a mechanical digger in Moray.
11/08/2010 - Firms 'should report on safety' - The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has stressed that firms should come clean on their health and safety performance as well as any related enforcement action.
11/08/2010 - Roofers warned over sun exposure - Roofers and builders are putting themselves at risk of skin cancer by failing to protect themselves adequately while working in hot sunny weather, a report has warned.
10/08/2010 - Rise in London hotel room rates - London recorded a 1% year-on-year rise in hotel room rates in the first half of 2010, becoming the only UK city to have witnessed positive growth, new figures have shown.
10/08/2010 - 44-tonne machine crashed on to road - A 44-tonne machine which crashed on to a busy main road in Hull has resulted in two construction companies being prosecuted.
09/08/2010 - Paintings worth £230,000 stolen - Three paintings worth £230,000, one by sculptor Sir Henry Moore, have been stolen from a gallery of Trinity House Pictures Limited.
09/08/2010 - Directors fined over lead exposure - Workers may have breathed in harmful lead dust or absorbed it in other manners at a sheet metal manufacturing company, a situation which has led to fines for the firm's directors.
06/08/2010 - Firm fined for worker's fall injury - A company has been fined £8,000 after a 61-year-old worker was injured in a fall from a scaffold tower while performing routine maintenance.
06/08/2010 - Vandal attack costs church '£7,000' - A vandal attack has caused a Shropshire church damages costing more than £7,000, police have said.
05/08/2010 - Workers 'seeking stress support' - A new study has found that counselling and psychotherapy are becoming highly sought after services among employees in the UK, with more than half expecting their employer to offer such services.
05/08/2010 - Clampdown on withholding deposits - Landlords who wrongly keep tenants' rent deposits will be clamped down on, the Scottish Government has promised.
04/08/2010 - Plumber's stolen work van burnt out - A plumber from Wiltshire lost work equipment worth £4,000 after his van was stolen by thieves and set on fire.
04/08/2010 - 15 hotel guests suddenly get sick - At least 15 people attending a wedding reception at a hotel in Staffordshire suddenly became ill, the Health Protection Agency has said.
03/08/2010 - Fire destroys recycling building - A suspicious fire has destroyed a building and equipment at a tire recycling depot in County Antrim.
03/08/2010 - Mill worker's arm severed in fall - A worker lost his lower arm when he got trapped in machinery at a mill in Kelso.
02/08/2010 - Firm fined over asbestos removal - A building firm has been fined for continuing to carry out unlicensed asbestos removal after warnings that it was handling the potentially dangerous substance.
02/08/2010 - Brothers fined over horrific fall - Two brothers have been fined over an incident at a industrial building in which a worker sustained horrific head injuries.
30/07/2010 - Beer sales beat last year's levels - The sunnier weather and the World Cup helped quarterly beer sales exceed levels seen 12 months earlier, figures have revealed.
30/07/2010 - Guide helps firms tackle flooding - Businesses will be helped to prepare for flooding with a free guide being launched by the Landmark Information Group.
29/07/2010 - Overhaul of licensing laws planned - The Government has announced proposals to reform the licensing laws, in an attempt to curb alcohol-related crime and disorder.
29/07/2010 - Man fined over rubbish refusal - A landlord has been ordered to pay almost £900 over his refusal to clean a rubbish pile behind his property.
28/07/2010 - Businesses in Europe hit by fraud - Nearly a quarter of businesses in western Europe have been affected by serious fraud over the past two years, a global survey has revealed.
28/07/2010 - Mouse leaps from restaurant bowl - Health inspectors have criticised a London restaurant owner after a mouse was seen jumping from a bowl of sweet and sour sauce which was about to be served.
27/07/2010 - Football and hot weather aids shops - The warmer weather and the World Cup helped the high street build up some momentum which has boosted optimism among retailers to its highest point for more than six years, the CBI said.
26/07/2010 - Firm fined over building site risks - Lift shafts were unguarded and safeguards were not in place to protect workers from falling at height at a construction site in South Wales, a court heard.
26/07/2010 - Firm fined over worker's injuries - A Birmingham-based automotive firm has been fined £30,000 after an employee suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a manufacturing robot.
23/07/2010 - Firm fined as worker loses finger - A frozen food firm has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,500 after a worker lost a finger while straightening boxes on a palletising machine.
23/07/2010 - More than 100 struck by 'norovirus' - More than 100 people at a five-star Glasgow hotel, including guests and staff, have been hit by what health officials suspect is the norovirus bug.
22/07/2010 - Sacked firefighter awarded £80,000 - A firefighter who got sacked for complaining that new chairs in his workplace made his spinal arthritis worse has been given £80,000 for having his human rights abused.
22/07/2010 - Olympic worker injured in fall - A worker suffered a suspected broken arm after falling from scaffolding in an incident that shut down part of the Olympic site in London.
21/07/2010 - Glasgow hotel norovirus confirmed - It has been confirmed that a bug that struck more than 80 people at a Glasgow city centre hotel is the norovirus.
21/07/2010 - Health drink laced with ketamine - Two women have been left seriously ill after drinking a health drink contaminated with horse tranquilliser, it has been revealed.
20/07/2010 - Gang jailed after jewellery robbery - A gang of jewellery robbers, who stole almost 50 watches worth more than £300,000 from a store in central London, has been jailed.
20/07/2010 - Last guest has 'norovirus symptoms' - A guest at a Glasgow city centre hotel is still suffering from norovirus symptoms after a suspected outbreak of the bug at the five-star hotel.
19/07/2010 - Worker's hand ripped off by lathe - A metalworker had his hand ripped off while working on a machine during a shift at a County Durham factory, a court has been told.
19/07/2010 - Armed robbers steal cash from shop - A four-figure sum of cash has been stolen from a Glasgow grocery store by robbers armed with a knife.
16/07/2010 - Rents up 'due to lack of supply' - A lack of supply of property for letting against rising demand has led to an increase in rents, a study has shown.
16/07/2010 - Car wash fined over employee cover - An Essex car wash found guilty of failing to purchase compulsory insurance to protect its employees has been fined.
15/07/2010 - Charity fundraising volunteer plea - A carers charity has appealed for volunteers to help its money-raising efforts.
15/07/2010 - Historians helped by new group - Archivists and historians will get a helping hand to preserve thousands of years of history from a new organisation that has been launched in Nottingham.
14/07/2010 - Insurance enforcement 'inadequate' - Efforts to police and punish firms who fail to take out employers' liability insurance are "woefully inadequate", the Association of Insurance and Risk Managers (Airmic) has claimed.
14/07/2010 - Firm fined after man loses fingers - A firm has been fined £8,000 after a man suffered "horrific" injuries - losing four fingers in an unguarded machine.
13/07/2010 - Six held after nightclub violence - Six people have been freed on bail after being arrested during a large-scale disturbance outside a nightclub in Herefordshire.
13/07/2010 - Police hunt security box thieves - Two men escaped with a security box containing cash after targeting guards making a delivery to a Warwickshire post office.
12/07/2010 - Small firms 'forced to use plastic' - A third of Scotland's small companies are being forced to rely on credit cards to fund their business, according to reports.
12/07/2010 - London 'has worst food in Europe' - London is the city with the worst food in Europe, a survey has revealed.
09/07/2010 - Appeal over travel agent robberies - Police appealed for public help today to identify an offender responsible for a string of travel agent robberies.
09/07/2010 - June fall in factory gate prices - Factory gate prices fell last month for the first time since the aftermath of the financial crisis nearly two years ago, official figures showed today.
08/07/2010 - F1 star's mother rescued from fire - The mother of Formula One world champion Jenson Button was among 60 guests who had to be evacuated from a hotel during a blaze, it was disclosed today.
08/07/2010 - Plastics firm fined over death - An Italian-owned plastics firm has been fined £140,000 after a cleaner in the UK was crushed by two pallets weighing nearly 3,000kg.
07/07/2010 - Trader admits selling fake labels - A Kent market trader has been fined after admitting to selling fake clothing, including Gucci shoes and Ugg boots, it has emerged.
07/07/2010 - Police hunt jewellery heist's biker - Detectives are hunting the motorcyclist who was an accomplice in a £40 million Graff jewellery heist at a Mayfair store.
06/07/2010 - Farm company fined over worker fall - A farm company based in the East Riding of Yorkshire has been fined after a worker fell three metres from an unsafe grain bucket.
06/07/2010 - Firms plead guilty to safety breach - Two companies have pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations after an HGV driver was crushed to death by a rolling lorry, it has emerged.
05/07/2010 - Last-minute bookings to increase - English hotels and guest houses could be given a boost from last-minute holiday bookings this summer, it has been revealed.
05/07/2010 - Man dies in business park accident - An investigation is underway after a man died when he became trapped between a lorry and a forklift truck at a West Midlands business park, it has emerged.
02/07/2010 - Fireworks firm owner admits fraud - A firework company worker was left blind in one eye at a public display because a fraudulent boss failed to follow health and safety law.
01/07/2010 - Dozens trapped in fairytale castle - A trip to a fairytale castle turned into a bit of a nightmare on Thursday after the drawbridge collapsed leaving dozens of people trapped inside.
01/07/2010 - Building firm fined over fall death - A Brighton-based construction company and two of its directors have been fined a total of £75,000 over the death of a member of the public.
30/06/2010 - England fans plan last minute trips - Thousands of England football fans are planning to leave their sorrows behind by going on holiday, it has been revealed.
30/06/2010 - Health and safety induction urged - More than a third of employees who have suffered workplace injuries did not received health and safety inductions at the time of joining work, a new survey has found.
29/06/2010 - Warning over flood defence cost - The Environment Agency has warned that small business, communities and landowners may have to pay out more to ensure they are protected against flooding in the future.
29/06/2010 - No Mosquito device ban: Government - The Government has dismissed calls for the banning of a device that emits a high-pitched noise to disperse teenage gangs and tackle anti-social behaviour.
28/06/2010 - Bed and breakfast fire costs cut - Bed and breakfast owners in Scotland will see a reduction in the cost of fire safety measures after a review of the existing rules, the Scottish Government has said.
28/06/2010 - HSE warns over unsafe quad bike use - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued improvement notices to 36 Scottish farms after inspections found unsafe use of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) such as quad bikes.
25/06/2010 - Worker burnt after tanker explosion - A worker sustained a fractured skull and severe burns to the legs, arms and face after a build up of gas vapour in a road tanker caused an explosion, a court has heard.
25/06/2010 - £300,000 fine for firm after death - A company has been handed a fine of almost £300,000 after one of its brick factory workers was killed when his head got crushed at a conveyor belt.
24/06/2010 - New Look fire fine appeal rejected - The Court of Appeal has dismissed high street retailer New Look's appeal against its record £400,000 fine for fire safety breaches at its Oxford Street store.
24/06/2010 - Firm fined after worker trapped - A Greater Manchester company has been fined £26,000 after a worker suffered serious injuries when he became trapped in a machine.
23/06/2010 - No increase to taxes on alcohol - Drinkers across the country hoping to raise a glass to England's success on Wednesday will welcome news that taxes on alcohol have not increased.
23/06/2010 - More landlords 'plan to expand' - Figures have shown more landlords are planning to buy-to-let in the year ahead suggesting a return to confidence in the market.
23/06/2010 - Firms fined after worker injured - A construction worker suffered serious head injuries after he fell through a fragile skylight while working on the roof of a sawmill building, resulting in fines of nearly £40,000 for two firms.
22/06/2010 - CGT rise 'may damage rental sector' - Investment in the private rented sector could be hit by any increase in capital gains tax, it has been warned.
22/06/2010 - Waste firm fined after man crushed - A recycling company has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a worker was crushed by an 18-tonne truck, leaving him needing his leg amputated below the knee.
21/06/2010 - National minimum wage to increase - The national minimum wage for adults is to increase to £5.93 an hour from October, the Government has announced.
21/06/2010 - Hotel chain bans noisy vuvuzelas - The vuvuzela has been banned at one hotel chain, which says it does not want sleeping customers disturbed by the din from the plastic horns.
18/06/2010 - Government aims to help landlords - The Government is changing recently introduced legislation to help landlords rent out shared properties.
18/06/2010 - Health and safety 'used as excuse' - The Chair of the Health and Safety Executive has said that health and safety laws are being used as an excuse by too many people.
17/06/2010 - Blackpool claims top seaside title - The nation has chosen Blackpool as its favourite seaside resort with Brighton coming a close second.
17/06/2010 - Wildlife tourism making £65m a year - Wildlife tourism is bringing in £65 million a year to the Scottish economy and the country's wildlife is proving to be a particular draw for holidaymakers, research has shown.
16/06/2010 - Report wants standard E.coli code - A new E.coli code of practice should be established within the open farm industry to reduce the risk of outbreaks like the one in Surrey last year which saw 93 people fall ill, a report has said.
15/06/2010 - Gas fitter fined over illegal work - An gas fitter in Wales has been fined £38,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £15,700 for carrying out illegal work and breaching safety regulations.
15/06/2010 - Firms boosted by low business costs - Lower borrowing charges have boosted firms by pushing business costs down by 0.5%, a new report has suggested.
14/06/2010 - Health and safety law under review - The Government is attempting to inject some "common sense" into the workplace by commissioning a review into health and safety laws, it has been announced.
14/06/2010 - Selfridges wins best store award - Selfridges has beaten off stiff competition to be named the best department store in the world.
11/06/2010 - Statue taken in delicatessen raid - Thieves have made off with two items - including a 5ft Betty Boop statue - from a small business in North Tyneside, police have confirmed.
11/06/2010 - Landlords register will be scrapped - New laws on private landlords are being scrapped, the Tory-Lib Dem Government has announced.
10/06/2010 - Council lets pub fly flag for Cup - A landlord has been told an England flag decoration on the side of his listed pub must be painted over, but not until England have won the World Cup.
10/06/2010 - Workers urged to take more breaks - A campaign has been launched to encourage more workers to take regular breaks.
09/06/2010 - Engineering firm fined after injury - A car parts manufacturer has been fined £10,000 after an employee severed the tip of his finger while trying to clear a jammed machine.
09/06/2010 - ASOS reports 44% profits surge - A move by fashion conscious youngsters to buy clothes online has helped ASOS enjoy a 44% rise in profits.
08/06/2010 - Man had foot severed by blades - A keen footballer had his foot severed by a log cutting machine, an incident which led to a £20,000 for a Cumbrian wood factory.
08/06/2010 - TV sales help boost retail figures - The warmer weather and a rise in demand for new televisions ahead of the World Cup helped to drive up UK sales in May, according to new data.
07/06/2010 - Boss fined over lack of insurance - Bosses are being warned about the importance of employers' liability insurance after an uninsured car wash owner in Essex was fined £2,500.
07/06/2010 - Firm fined over lift worker death - A firm which admitted breaching health and safety legislation after a lift fitter was crushed to death has been told to pay £45,000 in fines and costs.
04/06/2010 - Owner of sign firm fined after fall - The owner of a sign company has been fined £1,000 after he injured himself and another person when they fell more than eight metres as they were repairing a sign.
04/06/2010 - Hire firm fined after man injured - A vehicle hire company has been ordered to pay more than £7,800 in fines and costs after a worker was injured by a moving vehicle.
03/06/2010 - Lollies used to calm England fans - A local council has found a novel way to promote calm among football fans during this summer's World Cup - using lollipops.
03/06/2010 - Firms failing staff over eye care - Almost nine in every 10 businesses are failing to carry out their legal obligations to protect their staff's eyesight, a study claims.
02/06/2010 - Club fined for training ground fall - A worker was off work for six months after falling three metres through a roof during the redevelopment of Premier League football club Aston Villa's training ground.
02/06/2010 - Firm fined over electrical shock - A Wembley firm has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 after a worker was left permanently disabled when he was exposed to a high voltage shock.
01/06/2010 - Betting shop security code created - A voluntary code of safety has been launched to fight a rising number of robberies and violence against betting shop workers.
28/05/2010 - Restaurant fined for pollution - A Berkshire restaurant owned by Marco Pierre White has been ordered to pay more than £38,000 by Basingstoke Magistrates' Court for polluting a stream.
28/05/2010 - Call for clarity on drug-testing - A union leader has called for the "confusion" over the legality of random or routine drug-testing to be cleared up through clear guidance from the Government.
27/05/2010 - Police hunt dock cigarette robbers - Three security staff working at Southampton dock were tied up by a gang of robbers, who made off with a £2 million haul of cigarettes.
27/05/2010 - Firm fined over unsafe gas pipe - A loft conversion firm, which put a family in danger by installing an unsafe gas pipe, has been fined more than £4,000 along with its subcontractor.
26/05/2010 - Firm fined over workplace accident - A St Helens firm has been fined after a worker had parts of two fingers cut off by the blades of a high-speed fan.
26/05/2010 - Hotel fined over fire safety breach - A Leicester hotel has been ordered to pay fines and court costs totalling more than £40,000 for breach of fire safety regulations.
25/05/2010 - Fire at chemical factory contained - A chemical factory blaze near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has been contained after more than 120 firefighters battled the fire through the night.
25/05/2010 - Picasso lithograph stolen in France - Thieves have stolen a Picasso lithograph and four paintings from an art collector's home in France.
24/05/2010 - Dirty floor caused workplace fall - A worker fell on a dirty floor breaking his wrist - an incident which he later received £20,000 in compensation for.
24/05/2010 - Firms fined after employee fall - A factory owner and construction firm have been ordered to pay more than £27,000 between them after an employee fell through a roof, seriously injuring his back.
21/05/2010 - Resort launches own weather service - A seaside resort in Dorset, which says it is losing out on tourists and revenues due to "unreliable" Met Office predictions, has set up its own weather forecast unit.
21/05/2010 - Chemical scare at Science Museum - A "chemical incident" at the Science Museum in central London left three members of staff needing treatment from paramedics for irritation to the eyes.
20/05/2010 - Retail sales growth slows in April - Consumers were cautious with their spending on the high street last month amid fears of Government belt tightening and tax rises.
20/05/2010 - Landlords upbeat on future profits - The rise in the average house price and strong demand from tenants are making landlords more optimistic about their future, according to research by the National Landlords Association.
19/05/2010 - Firms fined over worker's fall - A construction company has been fined £5,000 after a worker suffered serious back injuries when he fell more than 3m from a terrace retaining wall.
19/05/2010 - Five sites fail safety inspections - Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors handed out enforcement notices after five construction sites in Lincolnshire failed inspections during March.
18/05/2010 - Two dangerous buggies recalled - Two types of children's buggies that have been removed from the shelves of some British stores pose a serious risk of injury to infants.
18/05/2010 - Gay couple refused B&B room to sue - The owners of a bed and breakfast face a court appearance after they refused to allow a gay couple to share a bed.
17/05/2010 - Unusual business names stand out - An optician called Spex in the City, a hairdressers named Curl Up And Dye and a chippy called A Salt And Battered have featured in a list of funny and unusual business names of the country.
17/05/2010 - Increase in British 'staycationers' - Figures for 2009 showed a sharp rise in the number of British "staycationers", with people making a total of 60.7 million holiday trips in their own country during the year.
14/05/2010 - HSE launches woodwork safety site - A website which educates employees in the woodwork sector about possible work dangers has been launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
14/05/2010 - Luxury bags stolen during break-in - Police in Scotland have appealed to the public for information after luxury handbags worth £6,000 were stolen from a shop in Perthshire.
13/05/2010 - Firm fined over worker head strike - A confectioner has been fined £75,000 after a worker was left in a coma when he was struck on the head by a machine door.
13/05/2010 - Fine for owner of Chinese takeaway - The owner of a Chinese takeaway has been fined after a customer found glass in one of the firm's chicken satay dishes.
12/05/2010 - Boat operator fined over accident - A fishing boat operator has been fined £7,000 after an electrician fell from a ladder and fractured his skull in two places while working aboard the company's boat.
12/05/2010 - KFC fined £19,000 over cockroach - Fast food giant KFC has been fined after an environmental health inspector found a cockroach, a mouse and dried chicken blood at a central London branch.
11/05/2010 - Firm fined for boy's steel injuries - A Wolverhampton manufacturer has been fined £8,000 after a teenage employee broke his leg when he was trapped under a load of steel.
11/05/2010 - HSE launches Asbestos roadshows - A campaign highlighting the message that only competent surveyors are allowed to examine buildings for asbestos is to be taken on the road by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
10/05/2010 - Firm fined after man loses finger - An engineer lost a finger when it became trapped in machinery, leading to a £1,000 fine for his Burnley employers.
10/05/2010 - Landlord fined after horror blaze - A landlord has been jailed for 30 months for breaching health and safety legislation after a fire in a flat left a tenant with 80% burns.
07/05/2010 - Burka-wearing man in jewellery raid - A man wearing a burka was part of a gang that raided a jewellery shop, police said.
07/05/2010 - Screw reveals firm's bad hygiene - A large metal screw found inside a burger has exposed "very poor" standards of hygiene at a food firm in Devon.
06/05/2010 - Jewellery stolen in city mall raid - Thieves have stolen goods worth tens of thousands of pounds from jewellers at Europe's largest urban shopping centre.
06/05/2010 - Call over workers' commute safety - Members of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers have called for bosses to recognise that safety at work should not stop at the store doors.
05/05/2010 - Small firms seeing rise in exports - Small manufacturers are growing increasingly positive about their prospects as they experience a steady rise in domestic demand as well as exports, a report has said.
05/05/2010 - M&B 'to put 300 pubs up for sale' - More than 300 drink-led pubs will be put up for sale by pub and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers, it has been reported.
04/05/2010 - Business travel slump hits hotels - A slump in business travel has contributed to an increasing number of failing hotel companies, it has been disclosed.
04/05/2010 - Safety of Jewellery Quarter ensured - Police have ensured the safety of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, after a courier firm suspended deliveries to the area as its van drivers were worried about being attacked by robbers.
30/04/2010 - Blaze home owner gives evidence - The owner of Rosepark care home has said he was "disappointed in himself" over fire safety breaches in the care home that killed 14 elderly residents and injured four others in January 2004.
30/04/2010 - Best landlords awarded certificates - Buy-to-let investors in the South West who signed up to a scheme to improve the standards of landlords have been rewarded with proficiency certificates.
29/04/2010 - Asbestos victims receive £2m payout - Up to £2 million has been paid out to workers who have fallen victim to asbestos-related diseases in the past 12 months, a union revealed.
29/04/2010 - Tradesmen damage bill hits £500m - Dodgy tradesmen are costing homeowners more than half a billion pounds every year, with up to £118 million of damage not covered by public liability insurance, a study has found.
28/04/2010 - Greene King sees slowing growth - "Fragile consumer confidence" is expected to hit beer sales throughout the year, pubs and brewing group Greene King warned investors.
28/04/2010 - Illegal workers fines hit £22.1m - The number of fines levied on firms taking on illegal workers nearly doubled in 2009.
27/04/2010 - Poverty 'should not be excuse' - "Claiming poverty" would no longer be a justifiable excuse by Scottish companies looking to avoid fines after they have been found guilty of causing workplace deaths, under a proposed new Bill amendment in Scotland.
27/04/2010 - 'Toxic' sofas payout agreement made - Payouts totalling up to £20 million are to be made to hundreds of customers injured after buying "toxic" sofas, the High Court heard.
26/04/2010 - Tobacco display ban consultation - Shopkeepers in Scotland will have their say about the ban on tobacco displays in their shops during a consultation launched on Monday.
26/04/2010 - Tesco fined over fire safety breach - Tesco has pleaded guilty over a fire at one of its supermarkets, and fined £95,000.
23/04/2010 - Explosion closes shopping street - An electrical explosion partially closed one of London's busiest shopping streets on Thursday evening, emergency services have confirmed.
23/04/2010 - Man fined after worker hurt in fall - The Health and Safety Executive has warned firms about working at height after an employer was fined when a worker broke both his legs in a fall from a roof.
22/04/2010 - Firm fined over forklift collision - A metal-processing company is facing a bill in excess of £16,000 after a worker was hit by a forklift truck.
22/04/2010 - Firms' options after flight fallout - With some workers taking an unexpected longer vacation after flights were grounded by the volcanic ash cloud, employers are likely to start assessing the financial implications.
21/04/2010 - Designer handbags stolen from shop - Designer handbags worth tens of thousands of pounds have been stolen from a fashion boutique in west London by a gang of moped-riding raiders.
21/04/2010 - Landlords overlook gas safety law - Landlords have been found to overlook gas safety law, with one in three tenants renting homes that have out-of-date certificates.
20/04/2010 - Flights ban boosts local tourism - The ban on flights due to a giant ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano might be causing an economic breakdown for the UK, but bookings at some tourist spots have surged.
20/04/2010 - Usdaw drive gets official support - Local and national governments, as well as police and retail employers, are now officially backing union Usdaw's campaign against violence towards retail workers.
19/04/2010 - Woman banned from licensed premises - A court has ordered a 20-year-old woman to be banned from drinking at all licensed premises in England and Wales, police have said.
19/04/2010 - More women 'visiting local pubs' - Women have been hailed as the saviours of pubs, with an increasing number of them visiting their local.
16/04/2010 - Hands-free mobiles distract drivers - A massive 97.5% of people cannot use their hands-free mobile phone while behind the wheel without getting distracted, a study has found.
16/04/2010 - Landlords 'unaware of registration' - Many landlords do not realise they are legally obliged to register with a scheme to rent out homes, members of the Scottish Parliament have heard.
15/04/2010 - Plans for cigarette display ban - In a bid to stop children from taking up smoking, corner shops and supermarkets will be banned from having tobacco displays if proposals from the Welsh Assembly Government are approved.
15/04/2010 - Shops warned over mephedrone ban - Businesses who may have come into contact with the party drug mephedrone are being reminded that the drug is being made illegal.
14/04/2010 - Fatal fall company fined £200k - A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation has led to a plant hire company being fined £200,000 after it failed to follow its own guidelines and an employee fell five metres to his death.
14/04/2010 - Debit cards trump cash transactions - Debit cards have become the most popular form of spending, research has revealed.
13/04/2010 - New thumbprint scheme launched - People selling second-hand goods to stores in Norwich are to be asked leave a thumbprint in the shops when they trade old goods for cash.
13/04/2010 - Retailer administrations down 65% - The first three months of 2010 saw the smallest number of retailers going into administration in the last four years, financial services firm Deloitte has said.
12/04/2010 - Employee breaks back after fall - A worker broke his spine in two places and suffered head injuries after falling three metres when a guard-rail gave way.
12/04/2010 - Fire tears through public school - A public school has been engulfed with fire but there were thankfully no injuries as the pupils were at home during the Easter break.
09/04/2010 - Drink-drive bike instructor banned - A motorcycle instructor who was found to be nearly four times the drink-drive limit and fell off her bike during a lesson has been banned from driving for three years.
09/04/2010 - Firm prosecuted after man loses arm - A construction company has been prosecuted and fined following an incident two years ago which saw an employee lose his arm.
08/04/2010 - Christian nurse loses crucifix case - A Christian nurse has lost her case at an employment tribunal after claiming that removing her crucifix at work would "violate her faith".
08/04/2010 - Thieves steal £40,000 of jewellery - Thieves have stolen items with an estimated value of up to £40,000 after breaking into a shop in South Yorkshire, police said.
07/04/2010 - Coffee break saves factory worker - A Manchester factory worker has described how he narrowly escaped death after an iron girder crashed into his workbench while he left to make a cup of coffee.
07/04/2010 - Pet shop owner fined over suffering - A Greater Manchester pet shop owner sold a gerbil to a girl with learning disabilities, who put it in a cup of coffee.
06/04/2010 - Hunt for jewellery shop robbers - Police are hunting for three robbers after a daylight raid at a jewellery shop in Kent.
06/04/2010 - £100,000 fine over engineer's death - The death of a maintenance engineer has resulted in a Wales-based company being fined £100,000.
01/04/2010 - Firm suffers arson attack and fined - Arson against a business led to the firm receiving a £40,000 fine because it broke health and safety regulations by not storing flammable liquid safely.
01/04/2010 - Plumber fined for illegal pipes job - A plumber has been fined £1,000 for substandard and illegal work at a mobile home park by laying gas pipes beneath a property without proper ventilation - exposing residents to serious risk.
31/03/2010 - Licensing changes for lorry drivers - Bus and lorry drivers may be forced to renew their licences more regularly under new measures designed to improve skills and safety.
31/03/2010 - Charles visits firms hit by floods - Business owners hit by floods in Cumbria have received royal support as they begin rebuilding their firms.
31/03/2010 - Drill injury leads to fine for firm - An employer suffered a broken finger and cuts to his arm when he became trapped in a drilling machine at an engineering company.
31/03/2010 - Letting agency grievances increase - The number of grievances against letting agents has risen by nearly a half in the past 12 months, the Property Ombudsman said.
29/03/2010 - Firm fined after bricklayer injured - An East Yorkshire building company has been prosecuted after a construction worker was badly hurt when run over by a digger.
29/03/2010 - Three guilty of gas safety breach - Two landlords and a gas service engineer have been fined for breaching safety laws after a woman and her young daughter were affected by carbon monoxide.
26/03/2010 - HSE calls for telehandler safety - Telehandler operators have been warned not to use the machines if the right-hand side window is missing, after a man was crushed by his vehicle's mechanical arm.
26/03/2010 - Firms fined over brain damage fall - Two decorating firms and two company directors have been fined a combined total of £6,000 after a worker was left brain damaged following an apparent fall from a ladder at a site in Newsom, near Huddersfield.
25/03/2010 - Cumbrian town reopens after floods - Businesses in a flood-devastated town are reopening after recovery work was completed on its high street.
25/03/2010 - Firm fined £4,000 over site fall - Construction firm Scotia Homes has been fined £4,000 after an apprentice joiner fell from the first floor of a building site property.
24/03/2010 - Raiders steal gold worth £500,000 - Two masked men have stolen gold worth almost £500,000 and a quantity of cash from a Birmingham jewellers, according to West Midlands Police.
24/03/2010 - Shop owner fined over insurance - Belington Magistrates' Court has fined a fruit shop owner more than £2,000 for not having compulsory insurance to cover employee injury claims.
23/03/2010 - Firm fined over lead poisoning case - A Perthshire company has been fined £10,000 after two workers suffered acute lead poisoning and were admitted to hospital.
23/03/2010 - Instructor admits drink-driving - Bingley Magistrates' Court has convicted a motorcycle instructor of drink-driving after she fell off her bike three times during a lesson.
22/03/2010 - Rules changed to stop pubs shutting - Measures designed to help prevent local independent pubs from closing have been announced by the Government, with around 40 community pubs close in the UK every week.
22/03/2010 - Plans to boost tourism industry - A tourism organisation has unveiled its 10-year plan to create 225,000 jobs and increase visitor spending in the country.
19/03/2010 - Probe after lorry pushes car up A1 - A haulage firm has launched an investigation after one its lorries was caught on camera pushing a car along the A1 at high speed.
19/03/2010 - Firm fined £5,000 for 'unsafe' site - A hotel company has been fined £5,000 after failing to enforce two Health and Safety Executive (HSE) improvement orders.
18/03/2010 - Shrewsbury robbery appeal issued - Detectives in Shrewsbury have issued an appeal asking people to report if they saw a JCB tele-handler used during an attempted robbery.
18/03/2010 - SME legal advice scheme launched - A Government scheme offering advice on employment and health and safety law is being trialled at businesses across the North West.
17/03/2010 - Weather hits February retail sales - Cautious shoppers and bad weather resulted in the worst February high street sales in more than a decade, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC).
17/03/2010 - Firms 'under-prepared' for crises - Businesses managers are being urged to prioritise planning after a study found that many companies may be "dangerously under-prepared" for crises in the form of extreme weather or major IT issues.
16/03/2010 - Rents set to rise in coming months - A fall in the number of homes available to let appears likely to see rents increase during the months ahead, new research has suggested.
16/03/2010 - Garden centres to be inspected - Inspectors will be delving into the accounts books of garden centres this week.
15/03/2010 - Tourists spending to double by 2020 - The amount spent by tourists in the UK is likely to be almost double the present figures by 2020, according to a latest report.
15/03/2010 - 'Man arrested' after nightclub fire - Staff and police led revellers to safety after fire broke out at a nightclub.
12/03/2010 - Firm pays £10,000 on frame injuries - A teaching assistant who was left with whiplash injuries by a climbing frame which came off a wall has been awarded £10,000 in compensation from the firm which secured the frame.
12/03/2010 - Shopkeeper attacked with machete - Police are hunting machete-wielding thugs who tried to steal a till at a newsagents in Salford.
11/03/2010 - Landlord revives pub with psychology - A pub landlord has said her skills as a lecturer of a psychology have helped her turn-around a Birmingham pub threatened with closure.
11/03/2010 - Early doors for Wetherspoon punters - Pub giant JD Wetherspoon is planning to capitalise on its position as the UK's third biggest coffee chain by extending its morning opening hours.
10/03/2010 - Jeweller plagued by raids hit again - Jewellery has been snatched from a shop display by men on motorbikes during a smash-and-grab raid in London.
10/03/2010 - Building accident leads to fine - A construction firm has been fined over the collapse of a trench, which trapped a worker for over two hours, and left him injured.
09/03/2010 - Online shoppers 'unaware of rights' - The majority of shoppers do not know the returns policy for goods bought online, research has revealed.
09/03/2010 - Two restaurant owners challenged - Health inspectors have taken the owners of two restaurants to task over food safety fears.
08/03/2010 - Pets rescued as fire engulfs shop - Animals had to be rescued from a pet store as a fire raged at a retail centre in southern Scotland.
08/03/2010 - Golf club robbers' images released - Robbers who have been targeting empty locker rooms in golf clubs have had their images released.
05/03/2010 - 50% of staff 'frustrated with pay' - Half of employees feel unfulfilled at work and frustrated with their salaries, a study has revealed.
05/03/2010 - Manufacturing 'needs state cash' - State investment is needed in manufacturing to create jobs or the economy will suffer further, engineering bosses have said.
04/03/2010 - Hotel business rates 'jobs threat' - "Eye-watering" business rate increases are on the way for Scottish hotels which could cost jobs and businesses, the Liberal Democrat leader told First Minister Alex Salmond.
04/03/2010 - Welsh language fines for companies - Ministers have proposed new legislation which could see hefty fines imposed on phone and utilities companies if they fail to provide their services through the Welsh language.
03/03/2010 - Robbers steal money from bookmakers - Two thieves have robbed a bookmakers in Sunderland, escaping with cash from the till.
03/03/2010 - People 'unsure where tips end up' - A new study has shown that most people who leave a tip in a cafe or restaurant do not know where the money goes.
02/03/2010 - Small firms energy costs 'too high' - Smaller firms are urged to shop around for the best energy prices, which they are missing out on compared with bigger businesses, say Government figures.
02/03/2010 - Hotel room rates hit six-year low - Prices of hotel rooms in the UK have dropped to their lowest level in six years, new figures reveal.
01/03/2010 - Smoke ban flouting landlord jailed - A Lancashire pub landlord believed to be the first person jailed for flouting the smoking ban after he organised a "mass light-up" is "devastated" at his sentence, his wife said.
01/03/2010 - Shops to get healthy food fridges - Around £200,000 a year will be spent on providing shops with refrigerators and shelves to display healthy food, the Scottish Government has announced.
26/02/2010 - First manslaughter case adjourned - The trial of a Gloucestershire firm accused of causing the death of a geologist has been adjourned because its director is unwell.
26/02/2010 - High street sale volumes 'recover' - February has seen the high street post its strongest growth in retail sales in more than two years, the CBI said.
25/02/2010 - Property sales fees regulation call - The Government has been urged to review and regulate the system of fees linked to residential and commercial property sales.
25/02/2010 - Hole-drill burglary at jewellers - Thieves have drilled through the wall of a California jewellery store and robbed it of gems worth up to $1 million, US authorities have said.
24/02/2010 - Minimum insulation standards needed - Private landlords should be penalised for not insulating their houses and flats, an MP has claimed.
24/02/2010 - New pork labelling code agreed - Major retailers and restaurant chains have agreed to offer more information about the origin of their pork products, in an attempt to phase out confusion over the food items.
23/02/2010 - Workers 'will reap rewards in 2010' - More than half of employers have revealed they are planning pay rises this year as UK firms look ahead to 2010 with renewed zeal following a tough 2009.
23/02/2010 - Tesco store fined over mice problem - A Tesco supermarket has been ordered to pay £74,000 in fines and court costs after mice were found in a store near Ipswich.
22/02/2010 - Empty business premises rate frozen - The rating of empty business premises is to remain frozen at 50%, Stormont Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has said.
22/02/2010 - Grant boost for Scottish farmers - The cost of damage sustained by Scottish farmers in the severe winter weather is to be eased by a £3 million Government handout, it has been announced.
22/02/2010 - Safety crackdown on curry diners - Health and safety bosses have launched a number of inspections at curry restaurants across Birmingham following a spate of accidents.
19/02/2010 - Harrods defends footballers move - Harrods has said that it refused entry to Ukrainian footballers into its store for "health and safety" reasons, and did not mean to offend them.
19/02/2010 - Warning as bakery fined over fall - Companies are being warned about the dangers of working at height after a Wales bakery was fined when one of its workers suffered a fractured rib in a fall.
18/02/2010 - Recession hits UK tourism industry - Official figures have revealed that the number of tourists who visited the UK from overseas in 2009 suffered a 7% decline on the previous year to 29.57 million.
18/02/2010 - Second head-shop fire reported - An investigation is under way after a fire at a so-called head-shop in Dublin - the second to occur at such premises in a week, it has emerged.
17/02/2010 - Expensive watches stolen from shop - Thieves have made off with several valuable watches from a shop in Mansfield, police confirmed.
17/02/2010 - Yorkshire pub wins national award - A Sheffield real ale house has become the first establishment to win the national pub of the year award for the second consecutive year.
16/02/2010 - Company fined after bin man's death - Court has ordered a refuse company to pay £130,000, following the death of a worker near Aylesbury after a 1,100-litre recycling bin fell on his head.
16/02/2010 - EU says sunbed rules not followed - Rules banning under-18s from using sunbeds are not enforced by some providers, the European Commission has said.
15/02/2010 - Music charge refunds for caterers - Pubs, hotels and restaurants are to be refunded by up to £20 million over charges for playing recorded music.
15/02/2010 - £100k of whisky stolen from yard - Thieves have stolen two articulated trailers containing £100,000-worth of whisky from a transport yard in Dumfries, it has emerged.
12/02/2010 - Workers to get compensation help - Workers with serious industrial diseases who have found it difficult to claim compensation because they cannot find their employers' insurance records will be offered help by a new database.
12/02/2010 - Unregistered gas engineer fined - A gas engineer has been fined £3,500 for carrying out work while unregistered.
11/02/2010 - Michelin restaurant staff walk out - The head chef at a newly Michelin-starred restaurant in Oxfordshire has walked out in a row over changes to the menu.
11/02/2010 - Man smashes 29 TVs in Wall Mart - A 23-year-old man in the US walked into a Wal-Mart store, fetched a metal baseball bat from the shop and smashed 29 flat-screen televisions, police have said.
10/02/2010 - Hotel fire 'suspicious' say police - Arsonists may have deliberately started a fire which caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage to a hotel on Monday night, police have said.
10/02/2010 - Director fined over legionella risk - A managing director has been ordered to pay out £3,000 for failing to control legionella at his firm's site.
09/02/2010 - Fresh calls for ban on sky lanterns - The Government faced fresh calls from peers to put a ban on the use of popular Chinese sky lanterns on weddings and parties, arguing that they kill and injure livestock.
09/02/2010 - Thieves steal lorry load of Lego - Thieves stole a lorry load of Lego and beauty products after gagging, binding, abducting and then abandoning the driver of the vehicle, police have confirmed.
08/02/2010 - Thieves grab £900,000 in jewellery - A jeweller has been robbed of £900,000 worth of valuables, including a £19,000 aqua-marine diamond necklace.
08/02/2010 - Council revokes restaurant licence - A Hastings kebab venue has had its licence revoked after police linked it to the increasing levels of crime and disorder in the locality.
08/02/2010 - New code to protect store suppliers - A new code of practice laying out how supermarkets deal with their suppliers has been brought in.
05/02/2010 - Firm fined over worker's incident - A construction firm has been fined £20,000 after a contractor was seriously injured when his cherry picker toppled over.
05/02/2010 - Website to let tenants post views - A new website is being set up by the Government to allow tenants to post their feedback on their landlords and the property they have rented.
04/02/2010 - Man banned for shopping barefoot - A man has been banned from Tesco for attempting to shop barefoot in its supermarkets.
04/02/2010 - Landlord fined over gas safety - A Landlord has been fined £8,000 after failing to ensure gas appliances in his property were safe to use.
03/02/2010 - Commercial armed robberies on rise - Shops, pubs and restaurants are being attacked by a new generation of younger armed robbers, police sources have revealed.
03/02/2010 - Security grants 'stop retail crime' - Crime-fighting grants have been allocated to about 1,000 small shops in England to pay for alarms, security cameras and UV markers.
02/02/2010 - Blaze sees seaside hotel evacuated - Nearly 30 people have been evacuated from a Bournemouth hotel after a fire broke out in one of its bedrooms.
02/02/2010 - Prodigy fan falls 15 feet at gig - A man has seriously injured himself by plunging 15 feet from a balcony at a dance music gig, according to police.
01/02/2010 - Britons 'biggest online spenders' - Accounting for about 30% of all European internet sales, statistics show Britons emerged as the biggest online spenders in the continent during the recession.
01/02/2010 - Ali-signed gloves stolen in raid - Twenty boxing gloves signed by Muhammed Ali have been stolen from an Essex sports memorabilia shop, police have confirmed.
29/01/2010 - Row over paternity leave plans - Fathers have been granted the right to six months' paternity leave, half of which will be paid, in a move by the Government which has been slammed by business leaders.
29/01/2010 - Rogue traders Bill clears Commons - Legislation aimed at granting local authorities new restrictions on rogue street traders will now be considered in the House of Lords following a two-year battle.
28/01/2010 - Tesco store bans pyjama customers - Pyjama-wearing shoppers have been banned from a Tesco supermarket in a move aimed at "avoiding embarrassment".
28/01/2010 - Beer market shows recovery signs - People are starting to buy beer again as a recent recession-led sales drought begins to slow, research has shown.
27/01/2010 - Restrictions on shared housing - New measures to crack down on the spread of shared houses were announced by the Government today.
27/01/2010 - Help for firms to cut energy bills - Companies are being encouraged to help save British industry £3 billion by slashing their energy bills by up to 30%.
27/01/2010 - Gem thief, 79, denies stealing coat - A 79-year-old woman who claims to have spent 50 years shoplifting jewellery from luxury stores around the world has been arrested for trying to steal a coat.
26/01/2010 - £90,000 fine over death of worker - A ground handling business has been fined £90,000 over the death of an employee crushed by an electric vehicle at Heathrow Airport.
26/01/2010 - Police force looks to privatisation - A police supervisory body in the North East has considered bringing in a private sector partner in a bid to save jobs and services.
25/01/2010 - Increase in 'reluctant tenants' - Demand for rented accommodation is rising as people struggle to find properties to buy, leading to demand for rented homes to outstrip supply.
22/01/2010 - Judge rejects fun day injury claim - An RAF man who broke his neck at a "health and fun day" has lost his High Court damages claim.
22/01/2010 - £1.2bn extra 'lost on poor heating' - According to estimates, the last two weeks of cold weather cost homes and offices in the UK an extra £1.2 billion worth of heat in leakages, compared with a normal winter.
21/01/2010 - 'Strapped workers take sick days' - Money worries are expected to lead to a huge rise in people taking sick days from work, it has been suggested.
21/01/2010 - 'Chicken licker' jailed over damage - A shelf-stacker, thought to have licked a piece of frozen chicken before putting it back on the shelf, has been jailed.
20/01/2010 - Carbon monoxide death risk revealed - More than eight in 10 households do not have an audible carbon monoxide alarm, putting their inhabitants at risk of death or serious injury, according to a new study.
20/01/2010 - Caterer must pay damages to widow - Appeal judges have upheld a ruling that a caterer who served up an egg-containing dish at a Sikh wedding must pay damages after a man died from an allergic reaction.
19/01/2010 - Gunman rob Northern Ireland petshop - A Northern Ireland pet shop has been held up by armed robbers, who escaped with large amount of cash at the weekend.
19/01/2010 - New video bill 'not retrospective' - Fast-track legislation to remedy a legal blunder - that meant the current Video Recordings Bill is not enforceable in the UK - will not affect previous convictions, the Government has said.
18/01/2010 - Bus driver abducted at knifepoint - A woman bus driver has been abducted and robbed by a knife-wielding passenger, police have revealed. The 43-year-old driver was confronted by the armed passenger and forced to drive more than two miles after dropping off passengers in Blantyre on Sunday night.
18/01/2010 - Company fined over death of workman - A construction company has been fined £80,000 after a workman died when he was struck by the digger he was operating.
15/01/2010 - Licensing laws 'stifling musicians' - The Liberal Democrats are pushing to make gigs in small cafes and bars exempt from live music licensing laws.
15/01/2010 - Landlord given record-breaking fine - A landlord who promised more than he delivered to his tenants has been handed a record fine for failing to address a "catalogue of hazards" that caught the attention of environmental health officers.
14/01/2010 - Immigrants hide among dog biscuits - During a morning inspection in Calais, UK Border Agency officers caught five illegal immigrants hiding in a vehicle carrying dog biscuits.
14/01/2010 - Charity shops could lose £500,000 - A charity has called on the public to donate "generously" amid concern that falls in stock donations and the closure of stores due to the cold conditions could cost its shops £500,000.
13/01/2010 - Ban youngsters using sunbeds - MP - Heath secretary Andy Burnham has said he "fully supports" a Bill which will ban tanning salons from allowing under 18s to use sunbeds.
13/01/2010 - Farmers restricted in clearing snow - Farmers using red diesel-powered tractors to grit roads blocked by snow could be fined, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has warned.
12/01/2010 - Loch curling cancelled over safety - Hopes that the freezing weather may have allowed a century old outdoor curling competition to go ahead in Scotland have been dashed due to health and safety concerns.
12/01/2010 - Insurers lose asbestos legal bid - Victims of an asbestos-related condition are still able to seek damages after a judge in Scotland rejected a legal challenge from insurance firms.
11/01/2010 - Big freeze raises food price fears - Small businesses may be hit by higher food prices as farmers struggle to harvest their produce during the big freeze, it has been claimed.
11/01/2010 - Staff complain about cold workplace - Increasing numbers of employees have been contacting a leading union to complain about being cold in the workplace.
08/01/2010 - Weather hits race meetings again - Two-horse racing meetings in Surrey have been cancelled as the freezing weather forced ambulance services into a state of emergency.
08/01/2010 - Eye test law 'unknown to bosses' - Most employers do not know of new laws requiring professional drivers to take eye tests more often, a study by Specsaverse claims.
07/01/2010 - Action urged as shoplifting soars - Retailers have urged police to come up with measures to tackle shoplifting incidences, after a report revealed that the crime increased by a third during 2009.
07/01/2010 - Businesses count the cost of snow - Business leaders have warned that the Greater Manchester economy may lose £24 million a day because of havoc caused by the snow.
06/01/2010 - Small firms 'need disaster plans' - Small businesses need more Government encouragement to help them survive major incidents such as weather damage, fire, terrorist acts and swine flu, the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) has said.
05/01/2010 - Beehives at London hotel rooftop - Guests at a central London hotel are being served with honey from the beehives installed on its rooftop.
05/01/2010 - Investigation launched into blast - Investigations are ongoing into an explosion that blew one woman out of a building, leaving her with severe burns to her head, neck and chest.
04/01/2010 - Call for law to protect local pubs - Neighbourhood pubs could be set to get more protection after councils called for additional powers to prevent national chains closing them down.
04/01/2010 - Conference calls taken in the nude - Naked conference calling is more common than one might think, a study has revealed.
31/12/2009 - Escapee herd of pigs close motorway - A herd of pigs have caused traffic chaos after they escaped from their lorry and ran onto a motorway.
31/12/2009 - Increase in 'mumpreneurs' predicted - A survey has found that the trend for "mumpreneurs", the name given to mothers who start their own businesses, is likely to continue to increase next year.
30/12/2009 - Lawsuit filed after moose head fall - Restaurant insurance companies will be interested to hear of a US lawsuit involving a customer who was hit on the head by moose.
29/12/2009 - Landlords 'may take strike action' - A ballot on whether to hold industrial action is to be held as thousands of pub tenants decide whether to take action against the amount of money paid to pubcos.
29/12/2009 - Employer fined after 26ft fall - A fine of £3,500 has been given to an Oldbury employer after one of his workers fell through a roof and dropped 26ft onto a concrete floor in 2008.
24/12/2009 - Bullock rages through Birmingham - People in Birmingham had an unexpected shock as a bullock charged through the busy city streets on Thursday morning.
24/12/2009 - Store shelters stranded customers - Snow left more than 100 customers, staff and children stranded in a department store over the whole night, it has been revealed.
23/12/2009 - Thieves use digger to empty meters - Police have launched an investigation after thieves stole a JCB to dig up two parking meters and empty out the coins.
23/12/2009 - Construction product sales falling - The construction activity showed a downward trend in the last quarter of the year, even though the rate of decline has slowed in the sector .
22/12/2009 - Ikea announces high-chair recall - A children's high-chair is being recalled by furniture giant Ikea following safety concerns.
22/12/2009 - Community groups facing 'music tax' - Up to a quarter of a million organisations, including village halls and community groups, may be hit with a fee to play recorded music on their premises, Conservatives have warned.
21/12/2009 - Icy weather closes Botanic Garden - Cold weather has shut the doors of The National Botanic Garden of Wales as bosses feared the paths were too treacherous for visitors to walk on.
21/12/2009 - Firm fined over worker roof fall - A company has been ordered to pay out almost £14,000 after one of its employees was left seriously injured when he plummeted almost 10 feet through a barn roof he was cleaning.
18/12/2009 - Retail spending 'to rise by 2020' - New research has revealed that retail expenditure of some goods on the internet could surpass those on the high street by 2020, urging retailers to make greater use of the web.
18/12/2009 - Ritchie pub slammed by authorities - A pub in Mayfair co-owned by film director Guy Ritchie has been brought to book by the authorities following a series of complaints.
17/12/2009 - Contractor fined over worker death - The death of a builder's labourer, who drowned after being trapped head-down in a water-filled pit, has led a contractor to be fined £750, with £750 costs.
17/12/2009 - Guy Ritchie pub licence review - Westminster City Council is to review the licence of a central London pub owned by film director Guy Ritchie after 70 neighbours complained of excessive noise.
16/12/2009 - Jewellers face insurance price hike - Retail jewellers risk facing a large hike in insurance premiums in the 2010 renewal season if they fail to adequately review their risk management and security practices, warns insurance broker Marsh.
16/12/2009 - Firms hopeful of what 2010 brings - Companies throughout the UK are hopeful of a revival in their fortunes next year, a new report has said.
15/12/2009 - Worker repays mistaken £1m payment - An honest supermarket worker has given back more than £1 million, which he was mistakenly paid, within hours of realising the error.
15/12/2009 - 30 evacuated over hair salon fire - Emergency services helped evacuate around 30 people from buildings in Bournemouth after a fire broke out at a hair salon.
15/12/2009 - Sales boost for shopping centres - Capital Shopping Centres (CSC) has hailed the start of a consumer fightback as it reports more shoppers than last year are visiting it stores.
14/12/2009 - Changes to local music Act opposed - Council leaders have warned that a revision of current legislation which prohibits bars, pubs and cafes from staging live music events could lead to a massive increase in noise problems.
11/12/2009 - Police recover stolen trailers - Police have recovered three of the four trailers stolen in a raid on a warehouse in Magna Park, Leicestershire.
11/12/2009 - Arcade sorry for 'no-hood' incident - Bosses at a shopping centre have apologised for "any stress" they might have caused a pensioner who was asked to lower the hood of her anorak for breaching a "no hood policy".
10/12/2009 - Hoteliers cleared of abusing Muslim - A Muslim hotel guest has lost her claim that she was insulted by the proprietors, who she said had likened the prophet Mohammed to a murderer and a warlord.
10/12/2009 - Pub licence revoked over loud music - A Brighton pub has had its licence revoked after music could be heard around 20 metres away from the premises - despite the doors and windows being closed.
09/12/2009 - Renewable energy could heat offices - A significant proportion of offices could be heated by renewable energy over the next 10 years, helping businesses cut costs and meet energy targets.
09/12/2009 - Pubs 'n' bars in administration - The beleaguered pub industry faces another blow after operator Pubs 'n' Bars was placed into administration, threatening jobs at its 87 premises.
08/12/2009 - Pubgoers spend year of life at bar - The average British drinker will down 5,403 alcoholic beverages and spend over a year of their life propping up the bar, according to a study commissioned by UKTV channel Blighty.
08/12/2009 - Man fined over TV-inspired scam - Several restaurants lost hundreds of pounds in a dry-cleaning scam orchestrated by a man who picked up the trick from the television programme The Real Hustle.
07/12/2009 - Turkeys get security from theft - In order to protect turkeys from theft in the weeks before Christmas, a poultry supplier has given the birds their own 24-hour security service.
07/12/2009 - Posh dresses stolen during delivery - Thieves stole a collection of Victoria Beckham dresses heading for sale in New York as they were driven to Heathrow Airport, the singer-turned-designer's spokeswoman has revealed.
04/12/2009 - Super-strong beer banned from sale - An alcohol watchdog has ruled that a beer containing 18.2% alcohol must be banned from sale, after concerns were raised that it was "irresponsible".
04/12/2009 - Urgent action on tips system urged - A union has said that hospitality employers are still manipulating the tips system to top up workers' wages, despite moves from the Government to close the loophole.
03/12/2009 - More economic help for SMEs urged - The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is pressing for a renewed economic stimulus to help small firms, which it says are leading the way out of recession and back into growth.
03/12/2009 - Firms 'facing triple uncertainty' - Businesses may be putting off key decisions, including those on investment plans, due to economic and political uncertainties - a report suggests.
02/12/2009 - Firms warned about Wi-Fi downloads - Internet law expert Lilian Edwards has warned businesses running open Wi-Fi networks to prepare for a slew of copyright warnings from rights holders.
02/12/2009 - Employees offered piracy reward - A leading software trade association has offered employees across the UK a £20,000 reward for 'shopping' their bosses and exposing software piracy in the workplace.
01/12/2009 - 'Employers liability bureau' plans - Under new government plans, people who suffer industrial accidents or illnesses will have access to a 'fund of last resort'.
01/12/2009 - Pubs chain to create 10,000 jobs - As many as 10,000 jobs will be created by JD Wetherspoon, as the pubs chain plans to spread its wings by opening 250 new outlets over the next five years.
30/11/2009 - OFT code firms see fewer complaints - Businesses adhering to standards set by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) draw far fewer complaints from consumers than those that are not government-approved, new research suggests.
27/11/2009 - New Look punished over shop blaze - High Street chain New Look has been hit with a record £400,000 fine for a string of safety breaches discovered after a fire in their Oxford Street store.
27/11/2009 - Retailers hope for Christmas cheer - Hopes of a retail fightback for Christmas are mounting after figures reveal high street sales had surged to their highest level in two years.
26/11/2009 - Campaign to boost British pubs - Britain's pubs are set to receive a boost with the launch of a campaign to prevent closures in the sector.
26/11/2009 - Tesco in legal bid to recover money - The UK's biggest retailer has launched legal action to recover thousands of pounds in outstanding funds paid mistakenly for six bicycles which cost less than £1,000, sources have said.
25/11/2009 - HMV in the dock over live music - High street chain HMV is being prosecuted for allowing Britain's Got Talent finalist Faryl Smith to sing in one of its stores.
25/11/2009 - UK residents 'get jobs support' - In a bid to provide better job support to UK residents, the Government has doubled the length of time skilled jobs need to be advertised to them.
24/11/2009 - Heavy rain and floods to hit UK - Heavy rain and flooding is to hit the UK again, piling on the misery for people in flood-hit Cumbria who only this week were allowed back into their homes to survey the damage.
24/11/2009 - Third-party claims made easier - Making an employer's liability claim against an insured but insolvent company is to be made easier by the Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Bill.
23/11/2009 - £3m bid to protect historic mosaics - The National Trust is to submit a bid for a new £3million scheme to protect a stunning collection of 4th century mosaics in the Cotswolds from the elements.
23/11/2009 - Flood-hit firms to get £1m package - The Northwest Regional Development Agency has pledged up to £1 million for small businesses affected by the recent flooding in Cumbria.
20/11/2009 - Credit insurance scheme may be axed - The Government's credit insurance scheme looks likely to be scrapped after only £18 million of £5 billion of available cover was used by UK businesses.
20/11/2009 - Firms 'strangled by tax red tape' - The red tape involved in dealing with taxes, particularly VAT, is threatening to strangle small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), according to the the Federation of Small Businesses.
19/11/2009 - Brown offers help for unemployed - The Prime Minister has announced a series of measures to help unemployed young people and new graduates find work and training.
19/11/2009 - Bosses 'suspicious' of employees - Most bosses are "extremely suspicious" of the excuses employees give for being late for work, a new study has shown.
18/11/2009 - Keep 65 as retirement age says poll - The retirement age should remain at 65, leaving companies free to extend it if they choose to do so, according to a survey by the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF).
18/11/2009 - Business-rate reduction for 60% - The revaluation of local business rates next year will see reductions for two thirds of premises, according to local government minister Barbara Follett.
17/11/2009 - Green planning laws may be axed - Plans have been launched to allow businesses to build on-site installations such as wind turbines and solar panels without applying for planning permission.
17/11/2009 - Half of firms 'plan pay freeze' - Despite signs of economic recovery half of all UK firms are planning a pay freeze, a new study has shown.
16/11/2009 - UK's stormy weather set to continue - High winds and heavy rain will continue to cause misery across the UK this week, according to weather experts.
16/11/2009 - Small businesses hit by lending - The Government's £200 billion economic boost to help lending has not reached Britain's small and medium-sized businesses, a survey has claimed.
13/11/2009 - Urge for 'phoenix firms' clampdown - A business guidance service claims a probe into the corporate insolvency market must look into the problem of phoenix companies resuming again under a new name - while their smaller creditors stay unpaid.
13/11/2009 - Office Christmas parties cut back - Office Christmas parties are to be scaled back in the wake of the recession, with fewer than four in 10 workers saying they will definitely be celebrating festivities with colleagues this year, according to research.
13/11/2009 - Britain braced for worst storm - Weather experts have warned that Britain is in for the worst storm of the year so far this weekend, with gale-force winds and heavy rain.
12/11/2009 - Ministers vow increased web access - The Government has said it intends to spread the reach of the internet to most of the country by 2017 as almost half of online retailers are based in rural areas, new research has revealed.
11/11/2009 - Checked Energy supplier improves profits - A major energy supplier has revealed that it may have to raise prices next year, despite revealing a sharp increase in its profits.
11/11/2009 - Cash concerns hit staff performance - A new survey has suggested that worrying about finances prevents many employees from putting in their best efforts.
10/11/2009 - Small business prize fund endorsed - A programme which offers up to 350,000 euro funds for developing products, services and process innovations among small businesses has received support from a leading UK nanotechnology group.
10/11/2009 - Bad managers 'force staff to quit' - A campaign to transform bad business management and leadership has been launched by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
09/11/2009 - Lloyds to support 300,000 start-ups - The part-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group has pledged to help 300,000 new start-up businesses over the next three years.
09/11/2009 - Rational immigration debate needed - Home Secretary Alan Johnson has called for a rational debate on immigration, saying that avoiding the issue has allowed the British National Party take advantage of it.
06/11/2009 - Poppy Appeal tin stolen from pub - A knife raid on a pub saw three burglars take a Poppy Appeal collection tin after tying up a teenager, police have reported.
06/11/2009 - Hotel bans games during Christmas - In a bid to "restore traditional family values" this Christmas, one of Scotland's oldest hotels has urged families to spend time together instead of playing computer games.
05/11/2009 - Companies helped to beat red tape - Efforts to help companies cope with red tape and regulations are being stepped up by the Local Better Registration Office (LBRO).
05/11/2009 - Gunpowder plot catches shopkeeper - A modern-day gunpowder plot has caught one London shopkeeper selling fireworks to underage youths.
04/11/2009 - Remote systems track stolen laptops - Experts have used remote technology and a webcam to catch a store owner who purchased two stolen laptops.
04/11/2009 - Staycations boost British tourism - Latest figures indicate a sunny July for UK tourism as Britons chose to holiday closer to home.
03/11/2009 - Businesses continue flood clean-up - Clean-up operations are continuing at homes and businesses hit by floods following Sunday's rain.
03/11/2009 - Campaign warns of asbestos danger - A new month-long national campaign has been launched to warn 1.8 million tradesmen at risk from asbestos to beware of the UK's biggest workplace killer.
02/11/2009 - More video used in tenant disputes - An increasing number of landlords and letting agents are utilising video footage in an effort to settle tenancy deposit dispute cases.
02/11/2009 - Robber struck with baseball bat - Armed robbers brandishing an axe and hammer were stopped in their tracks by a jewellery shop owner wielding a baseball bat.
30/10/2009 - Booze ban a boost for business - A Wallsend shopkeeper who boosted business by banning under-21s from buying alcohol and cigarettes has called for other store owners to do the same.
30/10/2009 - Heartless thieves steal kids' toys - Staff at a Leicester nursery have had to explain to the children that heartless thieves have stolen all their toys.
29/10/2009 - Landlord fined over gas-fire check - A landlord has been fined for failing to check a tenant's gas fire despite a warning from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
29/10/2009 - KFC prosecuted over London branch - Fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken is being prosecuted by Westminster City Council for alleged health breaches at one of the company's busiest central London branches.
28/10/2009 - Tenth of UK shops forced to close - A tenth of all UK shops have been forced out of business by the recession, according to a Local Data Company survey reported in The Times newspaper.
28/10/2009 - Tax rise may close third of firms - Small businesses in London are facing a 38% rise in business rates - and many fear they will be forced to close as a result.
27/10/2009 - Amateur sleuths miss burglary signs - Amateur "detectives" will be the subject of an unusual property insurance claim after eight guests at a murder mystery party didn't notice that the church they were using had been robbed.
27/10/2009 - Mobile shopping gaining popularity - Mobile shopping is becoming more and more popular, with around £245 million ($400m) spent on merchandise this year through eBay's application for Apple's iPhone.
26/10/2009 - Firms urged to keep Christmas party - Hundreds of small businesses could go bust if employers cancel their office Christmas parties due to the recession.
26/10/2009 - Gang steals clothes worth £15,000 - A gang of shoplifters who targeted fashion stores in the West End have been sentenced at crown court after stealing clothing worth £15,000.
23/10/2009 - 'Under age' boy refused wine gums - A fifteen-year-old boy from Cambridgeshire was left speechless when an "overzealous" shopkeeper refused to sell him wine gums because he was "under age".
23/10/2009 - Health and safety template launched - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have launched a new template to help small and medium-sized businesses complete risk assessments to a satisfactory standard.
22/10/2009 - Watchdog dismisses Camra complaint - There was no evidence that Britain's pub companies were compelling tenants to buy drinks from them, a competitions watchdog has ruled.
22/10/2009 - Shops to save on in-store music - Shops that play music could be in line for combined savings of £5 million a year and a £20 million refund, after a legal ruling found copyright charges to be excessive.
21/10/2009 - Unpaid business tax figure doubles - New Government figures have revealed that £423 million of unpaid business rates were not paid by companies in 2008-9.
21/10/2009 - Man jailed over underwear thefts - A finance director has been jailed for 16 months after stealing thousands of items of women's underwear and clothing from a Marks and Spencer store in Leicester.
20/10/2009 - Scottish firms beating recession - The recession has had less of an effect on small businesses in Scotland than it has on those in the rest of the UK, according to new research.
20/10/2009 - Shopworkers confronted by bear - Animal handlers had to be called out to a grocery shop in Wisconsin after a black bear wandered in, WEAU-TV reported.
19/10/2009 - Aquarium worker bitten by shark - A 23-year-old man working in an aquarium in Scotland has been bitten by one of the sharks, prompting a full review into the incident.
19/10/2009 - Alcohol consumption on decline - The amount of alcohol being drunk has been declining since 2004, according to pub landlords, who insist anti-alcohol measures need to be focused on troublemakers.
16/10/2009 - Landlords in unpaid water bill call - The Government has been urged not to pass £500 million of water bills left unpaid by tenants on to landlords.
16/10/2009 - Sebo thieves make a clean getaway - Thieves have stolen 200 vacuum cleaners valued at £50,000 from lorry parked in Cressex Business Park in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
15/10/2009 - Firms offered free websites help - A bid to stimulate the local west London economy has prompted web agency Notting Hill Internet Services to offer free website design to small businesses.
15/10/2009 - Scottish firms snub apprentices - New figures have revealed that less than a fifth of small businesses in Scotland have taken on apprentices in the last three years.
14/10/2009 - MPs vote to ban cigarette machines - An ammendment to the Health Bill banning cigarette vending machines has been approved by the House of Commons.
14/10/2009 - Sales of fraudsters' friend blocked - A high-tech printer that costs £750 has been withdrawn from sale at some UK stores on the advice of police after it was discovered at several counterfeiting factories.
13/10/2009 - Average age of tenants on the rise - The average age of renting tenants has increased by three years since 2006, suggesting that rising house prices have made homes unaffordable for many young adults.
13/10/2009 - Postal strike to cost UK £1.5bn - A seven-day national postal walkout could cost the UK economy £1.5 billion, with online retailing being hardest hit, a report has claimed.
12/10/2009 - Tools worth £2,000 stolen from car - Power tools worth more than £2,000 including a double-bevelled saw, circular saw, table saw, cordless reciprocating saw, two cordless jigsaws, chargers and a nail gun have been stolen from a van in Cleckheaton, south of Bradford.
12/10/2009 - Tube workers consider strike action - London Underground workers are considering strike action as part of a long-term pay row, which may severely affect travel services over the Christmas period.
09/10/2009 - Paratroopers intervention foils theft - A farmer in County Durham has had the last laugh after an alleged thief who stole his quad bike ran into a group of special forces soldiers while he was trying to escape.
09/10/2009 - Free parking for Christmas shoppers - A free car parking scheme has been launched by a South Yorkshire council in a bid to help city centre shops in the run up to Christmas.
09/10/2009 - New rights proposed for tenants - Ministers in Scotland have announced proposals to give new rights to tenants whose landlords fail to pay their mortgage.
08/10/2009 - Card fraud reduced by a quarter - UK credit and debit card fraud has fallen by nearly a quarter, according to figures covering the first six months of the year.
08/10/2009 - Call to ban tobacco vending in pubs - A heart-health charity is calling for cigarette vending machines in pubs to be banned as they make it too easy for young people to access tobacco.
07/10/2009 - Luxury goods costs continue to fall - The Director of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said there is good news for shoppers as the cost of luxury goods has decreased for the 10th month in a row.
07/10/2009 - Canterbury tops satisfaction survey - Shops in Canterbury have came first in a customer satisfaction poll of outlets in the South East.
06/10/2009 - Britons 'appreciate' good service - Eight in 10 Britons spend an average of £13.20 a month on tips despite the economic downturn, according to a survey from insurer RIAS.
05/10/2009 - 'Grazing' widespread among shoppers - A total of 20% of shoppers find it difficult to refrain from eating food before reaching the supermarket checkout, research has claimed.
05/10/2009 - Licence needed to watch TV via PCs - British businesses that duck the TV licence have been warned that premises must be fully paid up, whether staff watch on a television set or via a computer.
02/10/2009 - Rates cut for two-thirds of firms - Around one million companies will have their rates bills reduced within the next year because of a five-yearly Government re-evaluation of property.
01/10/2009 - Bogus inspectors 'fine' restaurants - Several cafes in east London have paid "fines" to fraudsters claiming to be from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
01/10/2009 - Rules change on tipping loophole - A drive to publicise new rules preventing tips being counted towards the wages of workers in bars and restaurants has been launched.
01/10/2009 - Bristol pub judged best for cider - A Bristol pub is celebrating its success after being judged the best destination in Britain for real cider.
30/09/2009 - Retailers end four-month sales drop - Trading for retailers has ended a four-month fall as grocers and shoe shops exceeded expectations for trading, a survey has revealed.
30/09/2009 - Welsh minister seeks sunbed ban - Edwina Hart, the health minister for Wales, has outlined plans to ban all under-18s from using sunbeds in the country.
29/09/2009 - 'Rain tax' to be scrapped - Benn - The environment secretary has announced plans to stop water companies from charging charitable organisations for surface water drainage.
29/09/2009 - Shop rents slump 10% in Edinburgh - Shop rents have slumped by 10% in Edinburgh's Princes Street as disruption caused by tram works adds to recessionary pressures, according to estate agents Cushman and Wakefield.
28/09/2009 - Rental house demand 'stabilising' - An increase in demand for rental homes has begun to stabilise the letting market's oversupply of properties, research suggests.
28/09/2009 - Designers challenged to stop shop crime - Government ministers want designers to stop shoplifters by drawing up plans to tackle retail crimes in a national competition.
25/09/2009 - Lingerie stolen from parked lorry - Nearly £250,000 worth of lingerie and shoes were stolen when thieves cut the side of a parked lorry, police said.
25/09/2009 - Punch puts 300 pubs on the market - Pub firm Punch Taverns has put 300 of its under-performing premises up for sale as it battles to reduce its £4.4 billion debt.
24/09/2009 - Worker attacked for cigarette refusal - Police investigating an assault on a convenience store worker in Plymouth want witnesses to come forward
24/09/2009 - Landlords warned over leasing rules - Homeowners should seek advice from a legal professional before renting-out a spare room, the Law Society has warned.
23/09/2009 - New pension scheme to be introduced - Around 41% of small firms with less than 250 staff are planning to replace their existing pension scheme with the Government's new personal accounts to be introduced in 2012, a study shows.
23/09/2009 - Firms to oppose parking space ta' - Businesses in Nottingham may contribute to a "fighting fund" to legally challenge the first parking levy in the country imposed by Nottingham City Council earlier this month.
23/09/2009 - Growth 'to stall when VAT reinstated' - Economic growth will slow after the reversal next January of last year's cut in VAT, according to the CBI.
22/09/2009 - Buy-to-let market still suffering - Nine out of ten landlords have found it more difficult to get a mortgage in the last three months than they did earlier in the year, research has found.
21/09/2009 - Hajib row lands hoteliers in court - A Christian couple who run a hotel in Merseyside are to stand trial for a racist offence after allegedly arguing with a Muslim guest in March.
21/09/2009 - Student rent soars in Scotland - Landlords in Scotland have charged bigger rent increases in the last two years than any other area of the UK, research has claimed.
21/09/2009 - Cinema blaze 'may be deliberate' - Fire crews investigating a blaze at a cinema and theatre complex in Suffolk believe it may have been started deliberately.
18/09/2009 - New WeeW store replaces old Woolies - An old Woolworths store has been given a new lease of life with former employees in the Outer Hebrides starting up their own shop, called WeeW.
18/09/2009 - E.coli outbreak toll reaches 45 - A total of 45 people are now said to have contracted E.coli in an outbreak linked to a children's farm in Surrey.
17/09/2009 - Brixton area launches own currency - Brixton is the first urban area to launch its own currency, in a bid to boost the area's economy.
17/09/2009 - Farmers join police in crime fight - Gloucestershire Constabulary is collaborating with members of the agricultural industry to help them protect their businesses from criminals in the county.
16/09/2009 - Pub violence warning in Scotland - In three Scottish cities there were 3,200 assaults, rapes, breaches of the peace and antisocial behaviour incidents in 2008-09 in and around pubs, according to MSP Brian Adam.
16/09/2009 - Tobacco regularly sold to children - Magistrates have been urged to impose stiffer sentences on shopkeepers caught selling cigarettes to children.
15/09/2009 - Bannatyne bans sunbed use by minors - Dragons' Den judge Duncan Bannatyne has overhauled the rules governing sunbed use at his health clubs after a BBC series revealed that under 16s were able to use the facilities.
15/09/2009 - Hotel room prices at five-year low - A new price index has shown that UK hotel rooms were the cheapest for five years in the first half of this year.
14/09/2009 - Vans 'targeted most by thieves' - Light commercial vehicles increasingly attracting thieves' attention, with the Ford Transit van being the most common vehicle stolen last year.
14/09/2009 - Stand up for rights, consumers told - Shoppers are being encouraged to stand up for their themselves after a study revealed a third of people feel their consumer rights have been ignored.
11/09/2009 - Norovirus linked to raw shellfish - An outbreak of norovirus which infected 529 diners at a restaurant in Berkshire, is said to have been caused partly by raw shellfish, according to a report.
11/09/2009 - Thieves warned over balloon danger - Thieves who stole a hot air balloon have been warned of the dangers they face if they try and use it.
10/09/2009 - Cheese-Grader Insures Nose For £5m - The nose of a master cheese-grader who selects more than 12,000 tonnes of cheddar every year has been insured for £5 million, he has revealed.
10/09/2009 - Shellfish gangmaster prosecuted - A man has become the first gangmaster to be prosecuted and fined for the illegal gathering of shellfish under laws introduced after the Morecambe Bay tragedy.
10/09/2009 - VAT cut 'pointless' - Lib Dems - The Liberal Democrats have called for the immediate scrapping of the VAT cut in order to pay for measures designed to rescue young people from long-term structural unemployment.
09/09/2009 - Crime-fighting cash for shopkeepers - Crime-fighting grants of up to £3,000 are set to help Burnley shopkeepers tackle robbery, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
08/09/2009 - Ritchie's pub faces licence threat - The noise at film director Guy Ritchie's pub could see the establishment's licence being placed under review.
08/09/2009 - Minimum drink price within EU law - Proposals by the Scottish Government to introduce a minimum price for alcohol are within EU laws, the SNP has confirmed.
07/09/2009 - Experts issue staff absence warning - Companies should prepare for staff absences in anticipation of the second wave of swine flu that is expected to occur later this year.
07/09/2009 - Concern over hotel insolvency rates - Despite a rise in the number of Britons spending holidays in their own country, hotel groups are going under at a faster rate than ever, figures show.
04/09/2009 - SMEs 'affected by late payments' - Delays in payments by big brand names have led to losses in a number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a study has found.
04/09/2009 - Decline in 'forced house-letting' - The number of people being forced to rent out their homes because they could not be sold has decreased according to research, as the housing market begins to pick up.
03/09/2009 - OAP wins settlement for burn injury - A pensioner from West Midlands who received severe chemical burns caused by toxic chemicals in a leather sofa has been compensated for his injuries.
03/09/2009 - Post offices must be 'transformed' - An industry group believes post offices should become "small business hubs", offering services such as banking, to secure the future of the branches.
02/09/2009 - Landlord opens shop in spare room - A Staffordshire pub landlord has defied the recession by opening a newsagents in the spare room of his pub.
02/09/2009 - Crooks 'make money on machinery' - Lack of regulation in the sale and use of heavy machinery has led crooks to launder vast sums of dirty cash in a "low-risk and high-reward crime", industry experts claim.
01/09/2009 - Retailers 'should make statements' - The chairman of the Magistrates' Association has called on independent retailers who have suffered persistent shoplifting to attend court and offer victim statements.
01/09/2009 - Early Christmas card threats issued - A menacing campaign to stop shops selling Christmas cards before November is being investigated by police.
28/08/2009 - Burkha raider steals £275,000 watches - Watches worth more than £275,000 have been stolen in an armed robbery carried out by a man wearing a burkha, police said.
27/08/2009 - Motorbike gang's £1m jewel haul - More than £1 million of gems and jewels have been stolen by six robbers in a raid on a store lasting less than a minute.
27/08/2009 - Recycling fee dodger Yeomans fined - An outdoor leisure store who avoided paying recycling and waste registration fees for 10 years has been ordered to pay £17,000.
26/08/2009 - Consumers boost online sales in July - Figures show online sales increased significantly in July with shoppers spending £4.2 billion over the internet.
26/08/2009 - B&Q removes contaminated plant food - DIY giant B&Q has taken some of its plant food range off the shelves after a test by a magazine discovered that it was contaminated.
25/08/2009 - Tesco plans to work around weather - A special team at supermarket giant Tesco are to embark on a new shelf-stocking initiative aimed at matching the right products with the weather.
25/08/2009 - DSA reveals lorry driver exams plan - The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has unveiled plans for a new qualification for all professional lorry drivers - known as the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
24/08/2009 - Police investigate shops raid link - Police are investigating a possible link between an overnight burglary in Bushmills and break-ins at two gift shops at the Giants Causeway.
24/08/2009 - Shop fined for knife sales to girls - A Croydon shop has been ordered to pay almost £2,000 for selling a pack of five knives to two 15-year-old girls.
24/08/2009 - Shoplifting is 'being ignored' - Shoplifting being judged as a "victimless" crime is posing more of a problem for shopkeepers than armed robbery, a retail expert has revealed.
21/08/2009 - Takeaway overrun by cockroaches - A takeaway business in Slough has been shut down and its owner forced to pay almost £14,000 in fines after health and safety inspectors found the restaurant crawling with cockroaches.
21/08/2009 - New gas analyser to protect worker - A Stokesley-based firm has developed a device to safeguard hospitality workers who deal with potentially fatal gases from beer and soft drinks systems.
20/08/2009 - Grandfather baffled by table bugs - Unidentified bugs crawling out of a nest of tables forced a grandfather to lock them in his shed, he has revealed.
20/08/2009 - Car raiders steal pub cash machine - A cash machine has been stolen from a pub by ram raiders in Co Tyrone.
19/08/2009 - Gunman snatches watches from shop - An armed robber held up a jeweller in Harrogate and escaped with watches from a window display, North Yorkshire Police have confirmed.
19/08/2009 - Company fined for rat infestation - A shop was found guilty of selling food contaminated with rat droppings and urine after a tip-off from a member of the public.
18/08/2009 - Hotel mistakenly offers cheap break - A hotel near Venice mistakenly offered a romantic weekend in the Italian lagoon city for one euro cent after a mistake on its website.
18/08/2009 - Pretty staff put women off - study - Female shoppers can be put off buying a product if they perceive the shop assistant to be more attractive than them, an academic study has found.
17/08/2009 - Advice to keep night workers safe - Businesses in Brighton and Hove are being offered advice on how to protect people who work late at night.
17/08/2009 - Fewer buy-to-let mortgagee arrears - There has been a sharp fall in the number of buy-to-let landlords in mortgage arrears, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
14/08/2009 - Student fined over nightclub damage - A student from Cambridge who caused £150,000 worth damage to a London nightclub in an "alcohol-fuelled act of buffoonery" has been fined by a judge.
14/08/2009 - Adult show at restaurant continues - An Indian restaurant where the food was not the only hot and spicy thing on the menu has been allowed to stay open, providing it puts bouncers on the door.
13/08/2009 - Tourism 'poorly regarded' in UK - Tourism in the UK is slipping further behind international competitors and not reaching its full potential, according to a report.
13/08/2009 - £10 curry paid for 13 years late - A mystery customer at a south Wales curry house has finally paid for his meal 13 years after forgetting to pick up the bill.
12/08/2009 - Owner reunited with stolen violin - An antique violin stolen from its owner has been found on sale in a second-hand shop in Bath for £10, despite being worth £5,000.
12/08/2009 - Builders bemoan theft and vandalism - Nine out of 10 construction industry professionals said they had experienced theft and vandalism in their business, research has shown.
12/08/2009 - Plans 'will see tenants evicted' - Proposals to restrict the amount of properties that can be rented to multiple tenants have been criticised by planning groups.
11/08/2009 - Tortoise thieves shut down business - The theft of Zeus, the seven-stone spurred tortoise, was not exactly a bolt from the blue for Cornwall sanctuary owner Joy Bloor.
11/08/2009 - 'Winter white' leads to success - New and innovative ways must be found to attract visitors to Scotland, according to tourism minister Jim Mather.
10/08/2009 - Jewellery thieves arrived in taxi - Two smartly-dressed men arrived by taxi at one of central London's prestigious jewellers and then took a woman hostage before releasing her and escaping with handfuls of jewels.
10/08/2009 - Shoppers not receiving bought goods - Research has found 10% of shoppers, equivalent to 1.8 million people, have not received goods or services that have been paid for in advance during the past two years.
07/08/2009 - Number of business trips falls - Fewer business trips were taken in the UK this year with local tourism bearing the brunt of falling visitor numbers.
07/08/2009 - Help proposed for 'victim' tenants - Tenants facing immediate eviction because their house has been repossessed will receive limited help from the latest Government proposal.
06/08/2009 - Gang steals rare cockatoo from shop - A Galah cockatoo worth £1,650 has been stolen from its cage in a pet shop by a gang of brazen thieves.
06/08/2009 - Security grants boost for retailers - Owners of small shops have been told they can apply for a share of a £5 million anti-crime fund to help them improve security.
05/08/2009 - Hotel raiders lock guests in fridge - Two guests were locked in a kitchen fridge during a "harrowing" incident when a gang of five robbers raided a luxury hotel in Ireland.
05/08/2009 - Pub-fall victim wins compensation - A woman has been awarded £18,000 compensation after she broke her leg when her stiletto heel got caught in a pub's poorly-lit smoking area.
04/08/2009 - Real ale brews renewed popularity - Almost one in three women drink real ale, a figure that is almost double the that recorded last year, a Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) survey has revealed.
04/08/2009 - Two in hospital following outbreak - A fish and chip shop in Wrexham is at the centre of a suspected E.coli outbreak after a mother and her three-year-old girl contracted the bug.
03/08/2009 - Childcare safety records inadequate - A review of the security procedures put in place by childminders and nurseries found a third were not good enough at keeping children safe, inspectors have warned.
03/08/2009 - Earl serves shop owner legal bill - A wrangle over the name of a shop in Aberdeen has seen its owner slapped with a legal bill for thousands of pounds by descendants of the aristocrat said to have invented the sandwich.
31/07/2009 - Hives destroyed due to bee disease - Four beehives are set to be destroyed in Scotland after an outbreak of a disease that affects colonies of honeybees.
31/07/2009 - Number of empty shops increases - The number of empty shops has doubled in some areas as the recession tightens its grip on the UK economy, a report has revealed.
30/07/2009 - Slowing decline of beer sales - The decline of beer sales has appeared to slow, with the brewing industry cautiously talking of there being "light at the end of the tunnel".
30/07/2009 - Nurseries `should ban soft toys` - Toys provided by nurseries and childminders may be spreading swine flu, according to guidance from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
29/07/2009 - Landlord fined over faulty boiler - A landlord has been fined £2,500 after tenants at a house in Worcester were taken to hospital suffering from suspected exposure to carbon monoxide.
29/07/2009 - Overcharged shoppers await refund - A number of disgruntled shoppers are due to be reimbursed after technical problems with Bank of Scotland's electronic card terminals saw them charged twice for purchases.
28/07/2009 - Fresh food brought to local stores - A government scheme to get the population eating more healthily is to give corner shops nationwide a fresh food makeover by stocking them up with fruit and veg.
28/07/2009 - Impact of swine flu to be discussed - The impact that swine flu is having on industry is to be discussed at a special seminar after it was revealed that one in eight employees could be off work with the virus by the end of August.
27/07/2009 - Flood tide rips trench in field - Millions of gallons of flood water has torn a 15ft trench in a field near Durham.
27/07/2009 - Licence delay will aid businesses - Delaying a planned shake-up to licensing laws in Scotland is a "common sense approach" to the issue, according to justice secretary Kenny MacAskill.
24/07/2009 - Death fall prompts safety reminder - The death of a worker who fell through the roof of a DIY superstore has led the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to remind small companies of their responsibilities.
24/07/2009 - 'Combat swine flu with home workers' - Computer specialists have advised employers to make it possible for their staff to work from home in an attempt to curb the spread of swine flu.
23/07/2009 - Recession halts the 'good life' - The recession has postponed many people's dreams of seeking the good life through a move to the countryside, research said.
23/07/2009 - Caravans `needed for salad growing` - Caravans are needed to house migrant agricultural workers are a necessary component of cultivating the land, a High Court judge has ruled.
22/07/2009 - 52 pubs facing closure every week - The pub industry has been hammered by the recession, with 24,00 jobs lost in the last year and pubs closing at a record rate, figures reveal.
22/07/2009 - Scotland's retail sales bounce back - New statistics have shown that Scotland's retail sales bounced back in June after the worst figures for almost nine years.
21/07/2009 - Move to tackle under-age drinking - Leicester police tested off-licences in the first week of school summer holidays in a campaign to tackle under-age drinking as well as reduce anti-social behaviour.
21/07/2009 - Slump high streets 'must reinvent' - Struggling UK high streets must develop unique identities if they are to survive the recession that has already left some in terminal decline, a report has warned.
20/07/2009 - Flooded farmer still in caravan - A farmer who was forced to leave his home after the UK's worst flooding for 60 years is still living in a caravan two years later.
20/07/2009 - Four deny general store murder - Four men have denied murdering a sub-postmaster's son who was shot during an armed robbery at a family-run post office and general store in Worcestershire.
17/07/2009 - Mid-summer Christmas cheer at pub - A pub in Cambridge has decided to stir up interest in the Yuletide season by starting its celebrations in the middle of summer.
17/07/2009 - Plastic bags reduced by half in UK - Seven supermarkets that entered into a pact with the Government to halve plastic bag consumption in the UK have almost met their target, figures show.
16/07/2009 - Shop owners victorious in board row - Shop owners in Nottingham have emerged victorious from a meeting with council officials over whether they should be allowed to display advertising boards outside city centre stores.
16/07/2009 - Campaign on pub draught beer tax - A campaign group has called for the Government to "promote the removal" of EU laws on the tax on draught beer sold in pubs.
15/07/2009 - Heatwave boost for sales results - Non-food sales saw their best result since October 2008 over the three months to June, research has revealed.
15/07/2009 - Scots pay out for dining experience - People in Scotland are the UK's biggest spenders when it comes to eating out, new research suggests.
14/07/2009 - Welsh shopkeepers oppose `bag tax` - A proposed "bag tax" has been opposed by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) in Wales on the grounds that it might dissuade people from using local shops.
14/07/2009 - Former Woolworths shops still empty - Despite closing more than six months ago, seven out of 10 former Woolworths stores are still empty, research has found.
13/07/2009 - London flood `must be planned for` - A "catastrophic breach" of London's river defences might inundate Parliament, Downing Street and MI5's headquarters in half an hour, says Westminster City Council.
13/07/2009 - Headlines backfire on shop joker - Tongue-in-cheek billboards outside a West Sussex sweet shop have landed owner John O'Sullivan in the sherbet.
10/07/2009 - Good weather is bad news for shops - Good weather is bad news for struggling retailers as shoppers turn to sunning themselves on the beach, according to accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward.
10/07/2009 - British 'worst tourists in Europe' - British tourists may be considered the worst behaved travellers in Europe, but the rest of the world doesn't agree.
09/07/2009 - £2bn to ease rates rise for firms - The Government has announced plans for a £2 billion relief scheme to support businesses facing rates increases as part of a five-yearly revaluation.
09/07/2009 - Rising beer tax 'damaging to pubs' - The Liberal Democrats have called for above-inflation rises in beer tax to be scrapped because they are "damaging" to pubs and breweries.
08/07/2009 - Scots cleaning up after flash floods - Residents and businesses in Scotland are still on guard after torrential rain caused flash floods, with more downpours expected.
08/07/2009 - Inspectors plan unannounced visits - Food businesses in Wales will be subject to surprise inspections following an inquiry into the 2005 E.coli outbreak which resulted in the death of a five-year-old boy, First Minister Rhodri Morgan has said.
07/07/2009 - Tenants `have trouble paying rent` - Rising unemployment means that more domestic tenants are struggling to pay their rent, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (Arla). It says that in the past six months, three quarters of its members have reported difficulties, while nearly all have seen a rise in the number of tenants haggling with their landlords.
07/07/2009 - Businesses at greater risk of fraud - Research suggests that fraud and theft is becoming more of a problem for companies across the country as a result of the recession.
06/07/2009 - Fountain stolen in broad daylight - Cheeky thieves have stolen a stone fountain from outside a company's offices using a work van as a decoy.
06/07/2009 - Florist repeatedly targeted by thief - A drug user has been handed a community order after he stole more than £3,000 worth of flowers from a Mayfair florist in order to fund his growing heroin habit.
03/07/2009 - Britons `expect good shop service` - Hard-pressed shoppers conscious of how far they need to stretch their cash during the economic downturn are increasingly opting to complain about poor service, research has shown.
03/07/2009 - Teenage drink numbers on decline - The number of teenagers buying and drinking alcohol has dropped dramatically in the past five years, a new study has found.
02/07/2009 - Call to ban pub cigarette machines - Cigarette machines should not be allowed in pubs, according to a survey, showing that most people also support the smoking ban.
02/07/2009 - Small firms see trading recovery - Small businesses in the UK that suffered amid the global financial crisis last year are seeing better trading and economic conditions this year, according to a new survey.
01/07/2009 - Hookah trend hit by smoking ban - A council has called for the smoking ban to be updated in light of a growing trend for hookah bars.
01/07/2009 - Online tyre safety advice launched - A tyre safety organisation has launched a campaign to increase awareness among commercial vehicle operators about the dangers of driving on defective or worn out tyres.
30/06/2009 - Growth of light vans to be studied - A 40% growth in the number of light commercial vehicles in the last 10 years means that there are now more than three million on the road. As a result, the Government is to study how the sector is organised and regulated, and how much it is likely to grow in the next few years.
30/06/2009 - Sewage floods Manchester stadium - The City of Manchester stadium, which was built for the Commonwealth Games in 2002, has been badly affected after sewage leaked from a collapsed drain.
29/06/2009 - Bosses urged to take summer breaks - A new campaign is urging managers to plan holidays this summer, arguing that time away from work can boost health and improve productivity.
29/06/2009 - Pups stolen from dog-grooming firm - Thieves have stolen a litter of puppies and their mother from a dog-grooming business in County Antrim.
26/06/2009 - New London restaurant for TV chef - The experimental chef Heston Blumenthal has decide to cook a more traditional selection of food at his new restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge, London.
25/06/2009 - Rare monkeys snatched from farm - A pair of Goeldi monkeys have been stolen from a children's farm in County Durham.
25/06/2009 - Historic pub launches smoking drive - A pub in Wiltshire, close to where tobacco was reputedly smoked for the first time in England by Sir Walter Raleigh, is to run a stop-smoking course.
24/06/2009 - Discount store opens in ex-Woolies - A family will open up an 89p discount store in a former branch of Woolworths.
24/06/2009 - Belfast Zoo cafe ruined in blaze - The cafe at Belfast Zoo has been left gutted by an overnight fire, according to emergency services.
23/06/2009 - Rents hit by property oversupply - An oversupply of properties to let is continuing to force down rents, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
23/06/2009 - Warning over 35,000 shops closures - Retailers continue to face difficult times, with research showing that up to 35,000 shops could close by the end of the year.
22/06/2009 - More landlords increasing portfolios - Research shows that buy-to-let landlords increased the number of properties they bought during the second quarter of the year as they looked to take advantage of house price falls and record low interest rates.
22/06/2009 - Fears for future of rural traders - The Rural Shops Alliance and the British Beer and Pub Association are warning that more than a thousand country pubs and village shops could close during the coming year because of a continuing shortage of affordable homes in rural areas.
19/06/2009 - Floods threat to business insurance - Insurance cover for businesses is likely to be hit hard by rising flood risks connected to global warming.
19/06/2009 - Foreign spending in UK holds firm - Even though the UK has suffered a drop in foreign tourist numbers, the actual amount spent by overseas visitors is holding up well, new figures show.
18/06/2009 - Concern over tobacco display ban - More than three in four corner shopkeepers are afraid their businesses will be badly hit by a ban on tobacco displays in store, research shows.
18/06/2009 - Shops see sales volumes fall in May - New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed the pressure on clothing and footwear stores last month when retail sales volumes fell.
17/06/2009 - MSPs warned over licensing deadline - The Scottish Parliament has been urged to allow off-sale outlets to sell alcohol beyond the September legal deadline for obtaining licences.
17/06/2009 - `Tat` costs charity £10,000 a year - A charity in Dorset has revealed that the disposal of unsellable donations costs it £10,000 a year.
16/06/2009 - Wedding bills cost firms £10,000 - A £10,000 Jersey wedding has left a string of businesses out of pocket after the happy couple allegedly decamped without paying.
16/06/2009 - Pressure too much for some bosses - The strain of the recession is causing bosses to resort to increasingly bizarre forms of motivation just to make their staff work harder.
15/06/2009 - Car crashes through diner window - Terrified lunch-time diners at a Northern Ireland restaurant were covered in broken glass when a car crashed through the window.
15/06/2009 - UK's highest cafe opens on Snowdon - A cafe on the peak of Mount Snowdon has reopened for business as part of an £8 million visitor centre.
12/06/2009 - Thieves make off with Sugar Puffs - A lorry carrying a load of Sugar Puffs has been broken into in the early hours of the morning in a layby near Kilsby, Northamptonshire.
12/06/2009 - Fire legislation a cause for concern - A coroner plans to tell the Government there is a "risk of future deaths" if more investment is not put in to fire safety in hotels, an inquest jury has been told.
11/06/2009 - Sheffield once again hit by floods - Businesses and homeowners are staying on alert to the possibility of more floods after surprise downpours caused disruptions to parts of northern England on Wednesday.
11/06/2009 - Ten arrested over brewery theft - Police have arrested nine youngsters and a 30-year-old on suspicion of stealing alcohol from a brewery in Faversham, Kent.
10/06/2009 - Charities in dark over compensation - Only a quarter of charities know how much compensation they would be entitled to from a depositor protection scheme if they lost money through the collapse of a bank.
10/06/2009 - First Lady surprises London pub - The US First Lady and her two children made a surprise visit to a traditional London pub as part of their private holiday to the capital.
09/06/2009 - Tobacco display debate continues - New Health Secretary Andy Burnham has insisted that controversial measures outlawing tobacco displays in shops can be implemented without harming small businesses.
09/06/2009 - Like-for-like sales down in May - The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show that sales during May fell by 0.8% compared with the same time last year.
08/06/2009 - Fog devices 'putting lives at risk' - Police claim hi-tech gadgets that emit clouds of blinding fog to see off armed robbers could put lives at risk.
08/06/2009 - Shops unite to combat bad behaviour - Shopkeepers in a town in Cornwall are joining forces to stop drunken anti-social behaviour by refusing to sell alcohol to anyone who looks as though they "may cause trouble".
05/06/2009 - Appeal to prevent workplace deaths - The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has urged businesses across the UK to place greater emphasis on workplace safety and prevent thousands of deaths every year.
05/06/2009 - Domestic rents continue to fall - Domestic rents fell by 0.4% in April, reducing the average to £635 during the month, 6% cheaper than last year, according to letting agent Your Move.
04/06/2009 - Boy 'too tall' for child's meal - Restaurant staff measured a 10-year-old boy who they considered to be too tall for a child's discounted meal, it has been reported.
04/06/2009 - Faster planning process promised - Rooting out planning delays in Wales has been promised by the country`s environment minister Jane Davidson, who says she wants a more streamlined system that will help boost the economy.
03/06/2009 - Council in rogue trader crackdown - Trading standards officers in Hampshire are clamping down on rogue traders after a Yately man was conned out of £25,000 for work on his roof.
03/06/2009 - `New money` fails to boost lending - Figures show that lending to businesses fell by almost £5 billion in April despite efforts by the Bank of England to boost money supply through its £125 billion quantitative easing (QE) programme.
02/06/2009 - Small firms shortlisted for award - A family butcher, a volunteer-run village shop and an independent department store have been shortlisted for a national consumer award, which recognises local businesses that go the extra mile for their customers.
02/06/2009 - Incentives for landlords urged - The Government has been urged to introduce incentives for private landlords amid reports that thousands of tenants are living in sub-standard homes.
01/06/2009 - Help for Scottish businesses urged - Small businesses that have been hit hardest by the recession should receive help from the Scottish Government to top up workers` wages, firms and union leaders have said.
01/06/2009 - New charity regulator for N Ireland - Charities in Northern Ireland are now required to register with a new commission that has been set up to regulate, monitor and investigate charitable organisations.
29/05/2009 - Which? names best trader in London - The best local trader in London has been named by consumer website Which? as MC Perrin, a family-run greengrocer based in Coulsdon.
29/05/2009 - House prices stage slow recovery - A rise in house prices over the last month has been partially caused by a housing shortage, as people choose to rent out and not sell their property, an expert said.
28/05/2009 - Call for tourist information in pubs - Tourism chiefs have launched a campaign calling for pub landlords to offer information to customers as well as a pint.
28/05/2009 - Rental market 'is stabilising' - Research shows the rental market may have begun to stabilise with the average rent in May remaining unchanged for the first time in nine months.
27/05/2009 - Naked woman ad complaint rejected - A complaint against a university outfitter has been rejected as an image of a semi-naked woman was unlikely to cause offence to the audience.
27/05/2009 - rish flock north for holidays - A 25% increase in the number of holidaymakers visiting Northern Ireland from the Republic boosted tourism revenue by almost £50 million last year, it has been revealed.
26/05/2009 - Rental rates fall in crowded market - Homeowners frustrated with failing to sell their property have turned to the rental market, causing rates to fall 16% in the past 12 months.
26/05/2009 - Shop selling illegal alcohol raided - Officers from West Mercia Police have seized "a substantial quantity" of alcohol with unpaid duty of more than £1,800.
22/05/2009 - Tourism chiefs angry over tax plan - The tourism sector could lose millions of pounds a year under plans by the Government to scrap tax incentives on furnished holiday lets, according to industry leaders.
22/05/2009 - Call to speed up tax repayments - Tax refunds for thousands of people across the country are being held up because of new security checks introduced by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), an accountancy firm has said.
21/05/2009 - Brothers set to open £2m restaurant - Two brothers are planning to open a £2 million restaurant near Spitalfields market in London this autumn.
21/05/2009 - Scotland retail sales see 8.2% rise - Retail sales in Scotland rose 8.2% year-on-year in April boosted by warm weather and a late Easter, new figures show.
20/05/2009 - Plumber jailed over gas offences - A self-employed plumber has been jailed for putting lives at risk by doing unlicensed gas-fitting work after being instructed not to by a health and safety prohibition order.
20/05/2009 - Calls to raise VAT to fill deficit - A university professor has said the Government needs to increase VAT to 20% to plug its budget deficit.
19/05/2009 - Shops close after ceilings collapse - Ceilings have collapsed in 19 stores at a Doncaster shopping centre after heavy rain also caused the closure of a main road.
19/05/2009 - £170m of CCTV having little effect - Levels of crime are not significantly affected by closed-circuit television (CCTV) in city centres, housing estates and on public transport, a Home Office-funded study has found.
18/05/2009 - UK 'won't become cashless economy' - A report claims Britons will continue to rely on notes and coins and not credit and debit cards as a result of the recent financial crisis.
18/05/2009 - Sales figures inaccuracy addressed - Retailers have not enjoyed quite the level of sales originally indicated by official figures, it has emerged.
15/05/2009 - `Reckless` drinks promos targeted - A crackdown on `irresponsible` drinks promotions would see pubs, bars and off-licences face fines of up to £20,000 for breaking rules, the Government has proposed.
15/05/2009 - 'Absurd' licences stopping new acts - MPs have warned that music stars of the future could have their careers stopped before they even start because of "absurd" Government regulations.
14/05/2009 - Pub`s smoking revolt is stubbed out - A pub landlady`s ingenious bid to save her business by allowing drinkers to avoiding no-smoking laws has been stubbed out.
14/05/2009 - Private landlords register planned - A national register could be set up that would require all private landlords in England to submit their details under new government proposals to protect tenants.
13/05/2009 - Call for probe into 'beer ties' - Ties between pub firms and licensees should be investigated by the competition watchdog over fears the current practice is forcing up drink prices, according to MPs.
13/05/2009 - EU approves tougher toy safety law - EU governments have given the green light for tougher toy safety standards including a ban on the use of toxic substances.
12/05/2009 - Charles praises farmers' solidarity - The Prince of Wales has praised farmers for rising up together to face some of the most "appalling disasters" their community has encountered.
12/05/2009 - Coffee prices soar to 12-year high - The price of Colombian coffee could be on the rise after a period of bad weather and strong demand for the crop.
11/05/2009 - Fleet vehicle checks 'inadequate' - Businesses are being warned that vehicle fleets are being exposed to increased downtime and costs because of service intervals getting longer.
11/05/2009 - Online security restricting shopping - The trading watchdog has said a third of internet users are reluctant to hand over their credit card details while shopping online because of security fears.
08/05/2009 - M&S backs down over bra prices - Marks and Spencer has agreed to end its policy of charging more for larger bras after a campaign by bigger-busted customers.
08/05/2009 - British Gas cuts electricity prices - Around 4.5 million British Gas customers are to benefit from an immediate 10% cut in electricity tariffs, it has been announced.
07/05/2009 - 6,000 sports clubs 'facing closure' - The Government's target to get a million people into sport by 2012 could be undermined by the recession, which could see around 6,000 sports clubs under threat of closure, a new survey suggests.
07/05/2009 - New landlords hit by credit crunch - The credit crunch has hit amateur landlords hard with the buy-to-let market plunging 95% in the past two years, according to new figures.
06/05/2009 - Supermarket withdraws misspelt toys - A supermarket chain has withdrawn misspelt building blocks from its 375 stores following a customer complaint.
06/05/2009 - Empty spaces drive down shop rents - Rents for retail space have dropped by nearly a third over the past year as landlords slash rates to fill up the growing number of empty stores.
05/05/2009 - Work drivers breaking smoking ban - Research by Belfast City Council has found that nine out of every 10 people fined for breaking the smoking ban are commercial drivers.
05/05/2009 - Town profits from trading in Euro - Business people in the East Sussex coastal town of Rye say they have been making profits during the recession by accepting Euros from visitors.
01/05/2009 - Tiny takeaway in names row with KFC - A small takeaway in a Scottish town has refused US fast-food giant KFC's demand to remove a trademarked name from its menus.
01/05/2009 - Warning over coastal flooding - Coastal flooding could rise by 40% over the next four decades, putting many homes and businesses at risk, an insurance trade body has warned.
30/04/2009 - House rentals show revival signs - Although the oversupply of flats is driving down rents and hampering the property market, the letting market for houses is beginning to show signs of recovery, according to new research.
30/04/2009 - Fencing company hit by baby boom - The management at a fencing company has been left wondering if there is "something in the water" after more than half its staff announced they are expecting babies this summer.
29/04/2009 - Cash favoured over card payments - Retailers said that just over £116 billion of payments made last year in shops and online were by debit cards, which accounted for 43% of all retail spending.
29/04/2009 - 'Respite' for retailers in April - April retail figures indicate a "respite" rather than a "revival" for the fortunes of the UK's recession-battered retailers, according to the CBI business lobby group.
28/04/2009 - UK beer sales drop more than 8% - Beer sales in the UK dropped by more than 8% in the first three months of 2009, recording the worst quarterly fall in 12 years, new figures show.
28/04/2009 - UK keeps opt-out from 48-hour week - The UK will keep the opt-out from Europe's 48-hour working week in place after seeing off efforts to phase it out.
27/04/2009 - Bull makes beeline for supermarket - A west of Ireland store owner was left to count the cost to his business after a bull escaped from a cattle market and rampaged through his premises, it has been revealed.
27/04/2009 - Directors criticise equality laws - The "mass" of employment law is causing huge problems for the UK's smallest firms, according to a report.
24/04/2009 - Great English local wins top honour - The top prize in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence has gone to the great English pub for its "outstanding contribution to tourism".
24/04/2009 - Bird's cigarette habit sparks blaze - The owner of a store in Lincolnshire had to make an unusual claim on his shop insurance after a sparrow with a habit of feathering its nest with cigarette ends sparked a major fire.
23/04/2009 - £5bn more trade credit insurance - Chancellor Alistair Darling has announced up to £5 billion of additional trade credit insurance for businesses which have seen cover levels cut.
23/04/2009 - Oldest masseuse toasts 60 years - Britain's oldest massage therapist, a 98-year-old grandmother from London, is celebrating having spent 60 years in the profession.
22/04/2009 - Buildings levelled to avoid rates - The scrapping of relief on empty property rates has increasingly led owners to knock down unused buildings rather than pay the tax, according to research.
22/04/2009 - Unpaid goods insurance claims soar - Figures show the number of trade credit insurance claims rose by 51% last year as companies were left unpaid for goods supplied to failed firms.
21/04/2009 - Increase in faulty recalled goods - A report shows there was an increase in the number of products that had to be recalled from shops in Europe last year because they were dangerous to consumers.
21/04/2009 - Takeaway 'too close to schools' - A takeaway in east London has been shut down for breaking new rules that ban fast food outlets from opening near schools, parks or leisure centres.
20/04/2009 - Matalan prosecuted over knife sales - Clothing and homeware retailer Matalan has been fined £2,000 after staff sold knives to underage boys.
20/04/2009 - Shopkeeper sold children fireworks - A shopkeeper has been fined £1,100 for selling fireworks to underage girls.
17/04/2009 - Diners dislike complex menus - While haute-cuisine has made a comeback following a rise in flamboyant cooking television shows, many people are put off by complex menus.
17/04/2009 - Thefts rise despite fall in crime - Shoplifting and thefts by employees in London have increased despite an overall reduction in crime in the city, according to police figures.
16/04/2009 - Budget may offer small firms cover - Next week's Budget could offer help to small and medium-sized businesses through new Government guarantees on trade credit insurance, it has been reported.
16/04/2009 - Publicans crippled by high rents - Thousands of pubs have changed hands in recent years with debt leading to repossession in many cases, data show.
15/04/2009 - Scottish hotels see occupancy fall - Scotland's hotel industry saw a relatively slower fall in occupancy rates compared with the UK as a whole in what was a "challenging start to the year", figures have shown.
15/04/2009 - Downturn leads to cramped living - Rising unemployment brought on by the recession will see the number of people living in overcrowded homes in England soar by 15% over the next two years, it has been warned.
14/04/2009 - Driving tests 'not thorough enough' - Employers are calling for a post-test driving qualification as they think young people are ill-equipped to cope with the demands of driving for work.
14/04/2009 - Minister urges use of empty stores - It should be easier for local groups to take over empty shops in order to prevent recession-hit high streets turning into bleak ghost towns, according to the Government.
09/04/2009 - Calls for rural business rate cuts - The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is calling for a rural recession rate relief scheme in the Budget to help companies which have seen trade half during the downturn.
09/04/2009 - Company warning over fake £1 coins - A company that tests money collected from vending machines has said that far more fake £1 coins are in circulation than officially accounted for.
08/04/2009 - Police rung over shrimp emergency - A disgruntled customer in the US called the country's 911 emergency number because she did not get enough shrimp in her take-away fried rice, it has been revealed.
08/04/2009 - Taxes 'putting pub jobs at risk' - A leading organisation in the beer and pub sector has warned nearly 60,000 jobs could be lost from the industry over the next five years if the Government continues to increase taxes.
07/04/2009 - Shoppers urged 'get a bag habit' - Shoppers are being urged to "get a bag habit" as part of a major new drive to get businesses to cut back on the huge amount of plastic carrier bags handed out each year.
07/04/2009 - Business pleads for less red tape - Unemployment will reach 3.2 million in the third quarter of next year as the economy shrinks by 3%, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned.
06/04/2009 - Benefit reforms failing landlords - Research has found many social tenants are failing to pass on their Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to landlords following changes to the benefit system.
06/04/2009 - High street fortunes looking up - The UK's beleaguered high street has received a small piece of encouraging news after Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose said that trading conditions had stopped getting worse.
03/04/2009 - Pubs 'being forced to close down' - Company cartels that charge tenants up to 80p above the wholesale price of a pint of beer are driving pubs out of business, according to trade union GMB.
03/04/2009 - 'Happy' anniversary for smoking ban - On the two-year anniversary of the smoking ban the Welsh Assembly Government has said smokers and businesses are abiding by the rules and not lighting up in enclosed public places.
02/04/2009 - Sports club water bill changes call - The Tories are calling on the Government to impose a "moratorium" on changes to water charges that have seen large increases in the bills of some churches and sports clubs.
02/04/2009 - More firms choose to freeze wages - More companies have taken the decision to freeze wages and among those implementing an increase, the average amount given has fallen, new research has revealed.
01/04/2009 - Business rate increase scrapped - Plans to increase business rates by 5% next month have been scrapped by Chancellor Alistair Darling, who has instead limited the hike to 2%.
01/04/2009 - Post office fined over knife sale - A post office in London has been fined £1,750 after two children were sold a knife.
31/03/2009 - Buy-to-let mortgage arrears triple - The number of buy-to-let mortgages that are in arrears of more than three months has more than tripled to 26,800 during the past year compared to 2007, according to a survey.
31/03/2009 - Hay fever costing UK firms £7.1bn - Up to £7.1 billion a year could be lost to businesses in the UK through the debilitating effects of hay fever on workers, according to a study.
30/03/2009 - Landlord not amused by pink prank - A group of vandals dressed as decorators have painted a pub, which dates back to 1545, bright pink.
30/03/2009 - Calls to cut pub satellite TV costs - The Government is to urge satellite television providers to lower football subscription prices for small and independent pubs, it has been revealed.
27/03/2009 - Ban on sunbed use by children urged - MPs are calling for a ban of the use of sunbeds by children after research showed they increase the risk of skin cancer in young people by 75%.
27/03/2009 - Evicted tenants `forgotten victims` - Protection for tenants who are evicted if their home is repossessed by the mortgage lender is being urged on the Government by four housing charities.
26/03/2009 - Mothers 'driven on' by recession - In a bid to fight the recession, increasing numbers of mothers have been spurred on to set up their own business, according to a study.
26/03/2009 - Men steal lorry-load of lingerie - A lorry-load of hosiery and lingerie has been stolen after thieves conned the driver, police have revealed.
25/03/2009 - Landlords `unfairly keep deposits` - Scottish landlords may be unreasonably withholding millions of pounds of tenants` deposits, according to a Scottish Government report. It follows from claims that landlords unfairly withhold up to £6 million of deposits a year.
25/03/2009 - Landlords 'not to blame' for crisis - Landlords have called for retailers not hold them responsible if they fall into administration after paying their quarterly rent bill.
24/03/2009 - UK hotel prices down as others rise - Figures show that the average price of a UK hotel room fell by 12% in the last three months of 2008, but accommodation at many popular overseas destinations increased.
24/03/2009 - Surprise hike in UK inflation - Official figures show the UK`s annual rate of inflation rose unexpectedly to 3.2% last month, driven by rising food and drink prices.
23/03/2009 - Cash still rules the High Street - Last year most of the transactions in Britain were still carried out using notes and coins, despite a reported drop in the number of people using cash.
23/03/2009 - Small firms call for rate relief - Chancellor Alistair Darling can expect to receive hundreds of postcards from owners of small businesses, urging him to bring in automatic rate relief for eligible firms.
20/03/2009 - Shop only serves English-speakers - A Sri Lankan postmaster has decided that he will only serve customers who speak English.
20/03/2009 - Bar owner loses smoking ban case - A Blackpool bar owner who has lost a second High Court battle over his refusal to implement the smoking ban said the result could bankrupt him.
19/03/2009 - More to-let homes force down rents - Desperate homeowners reduced to letting properties they cannot sell are forcing down rents across the country, says the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
19/03/2009 - 'Minibar meddling' on the rise - High minibar prices are forcing some hotel guests to buy replacements in supermarkets where they are cheaper instead of having to fork out the hefty hotel fee.
18/03/2009 - Pair stole £1,600 of KFC chicken - A pair of opportunists stole a freezer full of KFC chicken worth £1,600 after spotting it outside one of its fast food branches, a court has heard.
18/03/2009 - Gran fights off robber with tray - A grandmother who used a bread tray to fight off an armed robber has said it was instinct that made her do it.
17/03/2009 - Rise in unqualified letting agents - The housing market slowdown has led to a rise in the number of unqualified estate agents establishing themselves as letting agents, it has been revealed.
17/03/2009 - More time to move cigarettes displays - Scotland's public health minister has said that the country's smaller shops will be given more time to introduce the ban on the display of cigarettes.
16/03/2009 - Art works stolen from country house - Thieves have broken into a National Trust estate and stolen £18,000-worth of modern art.
16/03/2009 - Crime affecting London businesses - One in five London firms have been affected by business crime in the last 12 months, research shows.
13/03/2009 - Pub tax burden `is unsustainable` - The tax burden on pubs is now "unsustainable" says the boss of JD Wetherspoon as he announced a 2% rise in first-half profits.
13/03/2009 - Firms not being offered loan scheme - A report claims most businesses do not know that their banks offer a flagship Government lending scheme created especially to support struggling firms through the recession.
12/03/2009 - Taxpayers given incorrect penalties - A "large number" of taxpayers have been wrongly fined £100 for filing their tax returns late despite making the January 31 deadline, it has been claimed.
12/03/2009 - Lending conditions 'have got worse' - A survey has found that businesses are still finding it "harder, costlier and slower" to access finance despite Government initiatives to boost lending.
11/03/2009 - Economy gets ready to receive £75bn - A total of £75 billion is to be pumped into the flagging economy when the Bank of England begins buying up £2 billion in Government bonds as part of the quantitative easing initiative.
11/03/2009 - Commons to look at shoplifting Bill - Plans to shake-up the sentencing of shoplifters will be looked at by MPs after the crime reportedly cost businesses £1 billion last year.
10/03/2009 - Waiter gets cash for fall at work - A waiter who slipped while working in the kitchen at the Savoy Hotel has received £9,000 in compensation.
10/03/2009 - Landlord offers pub in £20 raffle - A pub landlord in west Wales is offering locals the chance to take part in a raffle draw with the watering hole itself as the star prize.
09/03/2009 - Attacks on shop workers reported - Attacks and threats against 4,000 shop staff a year north of the border have been reported by shop workers union USDAW at the Scottish Labour Conference in Dundee.
09/03/2009 - Make Scottish notes acceptable: MP - People in Scotland are "hurt" and offended by English shopkeepers refusing to accept their country's bank notes, the Conservatives have said.
06/03/2009 - Greengrocer to close after 20 years - A community greengrocer is set to go out of business after more than two decades because he can no longer compete with a neighbouring supermarket.
06/03/2009 - Planning rejig should save millions - A shake-up to the planning system could save Britain's economy up to £300 million a year, housing minister Margaret Beckett has said.
05/03/2009 - Bank to cut interest rates further - It is expected the Bank of England will cut interest rates by a further 0.5% and announce plans to start quantitative easing measures in a bid to revive the struggling economy.
05/03/2009 - Britons feeling 'no better off' - According to a new survey, 44% of Britons claimed they were no better off as a result of the Bank of England's steep cut in interest rates.
04/03/2009 - Pub in bring your own booze night - Customers at a Northamptonshire pub have been invited to bring their own booze as part of the landlord's bid to shield his business from the economic downturn.
04/03/2009 - Fire damage linked to arson rise - The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has warned that the number of arson attacks may be on the rise because of the economic downturn.
03/03/2009 - Traders in customer loyalty scheme - A market town in Hampshire has launched a loyalty scheme in a bid to enable customers to save cash and stop high street shops from closing.
03/03/2009 - Scottish hotels suffer in downturn - A new report has revealed that the economic turmoil has hit Scottish hotels harder than the rest of the UK, with occupancy falling 4.1% on average during 2008.
02/03/2009 - Dirty water-coolers health alert - Dirty water-coolers may be putting the health of workers in Scotland at risk, according to a survey by environmental-health watchdog Consumer Focus Scotland.
02/03/2009 - Recognition for community shop - A North Devon-based community-owned shop has won an award for best village shop and post office in the south-west of England.
27/02/2009 - Call for unpaid overtime change - As five million employees doing more than seven hours overtime continue to be unpaid for their efforts, companies are being reminded of their responsibilities.
27/02/2009 - EU cuts red tape for small firms - The European Commission has decided to abolish accounting rules for small business in a bid to help them save money in the midst of the economic crisis.
26/02/2009 - Carrier bag use slashed by 26% - The amount of carrier bags handed out by the UK's leading high street shops and supermarkets has been cut by 26% since 2006, according to waste reduction agency Wrap.
26/02/2009 - Property glut `driving down rents` - Rents are being driven down across the UK by a glut of properties coming onto the rental market, says property search engine Globrix.
25/02/2009 - Shops cutting jobs at record rate - Figures show that 49% of retailers have cut their workforce in response to the recession - the biggest reduction on record.
25/02/2009 - Employers blamed over work injuries - Employers are not doing enough to tackle repetitive strain injuries (RSI) in the workplace, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
24/02/2009 - Warning over axing tougher job laws - The Government has been warned by union leaders that any moves to end enhanced maternity leave and tougher equality legislation would face a "strong backlash".
24/02/2009 - Barman burns £1,000 pub takings - A barman managed to burn £1,000 of pub takings after hiding the cash in the oven for safe keeping.
23/02/2009 - Castle shortlisted for B&B prize - The shortlist for tourism's "Oscars" awards includes a bed-and-breakfast establishment housed in a 19th-century castle.
23/02/2009 - Sharp fall in buy-to-let lending - New figures have revealed a 65% drop in the value of mortgage lending on buy-to-let properties during the past year.
20/02/2009 - Employer sacks 'illegal' worker - Employment laws have forced a company to sack a cleaner who has lived in Britain for more than 50 years as an illegal foreign worker, it has been claimed.
20/02/2009 - Flood-hit pub 'best in Britain' - A pub which was at the centre of havoc caused by the devastating floods in 2007 has been named as the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA) pub of the year.
19/02/2009 - Mouse droppings found in cafe food - A cafe owner from Middlesbrough has been fined £1,200 for breaching food hygiene laws after health officers discovered food contaminated with mouse droppings.
19/02/2009 - Sales of fair trade goods soar - Fair trade products have been flying off the shelves and sales have jumped by 43% to a retail value of around £700 million, figures show.
18/02/2009 - Live rabbit found in hotel kitchen - A countess has been found guilty of food hygiene breaches after health inspectors discovered a rabbit living in the kitchen of her hotel.
18/02/2009 - Guide to advise struggling employers - A new guide has been created to help to businesses seeking advice on how to handle redundancies and lay-offs.
17/02/2009 - Recession hits small London firms - Small London companies have been hit hardest by the recession compared with other areas of the country, researchers reveal.
17/02/2009 - Landlords get help on fire safety - The National Landlords Association (NLA) has published a Fire Safety Logbook aimed at helping landlords keep their properties safe.
16/02/2009 - VAT cut 'failed to help firms' - A survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has revealed that nine out of 10 firms in Britain believe that their business has not benefited from the Government's VAT cut.
16/02/2009 - Property selling inquiries up 118%. - More than twice the number of people are trying to sell property to avoid insolvency or repossession than a year ago, a company has said.
13/02/2009 - Store defends halal-only policy - A pizza chain has come under fire for taking the decision to turn one of its stores into a halal-only outlet, meaning that it does not offer its customers pork products.
13/02/2009 - EU controls 'could hit small farms' - The price of staple foods such as chicken, turkey, tomatoes and cucumbers could be pushed up because of tighter pollution controls on small family farms, the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has warned.
12/02/2009 - Flower allergy florist wins award - A florist with a life-threatening allergy to flowers is blooming after scooping a Welsh business award.
12/02/2009 - Plastic bag charges for Wales - Shoppers in Wales are to be charged for plastic bags after a proposed levy was announced.
11/02/2009 - Delay urged over employment laws - Delay is being urged over the introduction of employment and other laws that might cost firms almost £800 million a year.
11/02/2009 - Recession fuelling rodent problem - Authorities in the UK made more than 650,000 visits to deal with rats or mice last year as incidents of infestations increased across the country.
10/02/2009 - January sales rise for retailers - Bargain hunters flocked to the high street in January resulting in a best sales performance for retailers in the UK since May.
10/02/2009 - Weather causes more disruptions - Businesses are bracing themselves for another set of weather-related costs as winter storms battering England and Wales cause flooding and power cuts.
09/02/2009 - 'Urgent' help needed to save firms - The Government has been warned that the credit crunch will get worse without "urgent" intervention, suggesting that the measures already taken are not working.
09/02/2009 - Takeaway has late licence revoked - A council has revoked the late licence of a takeaway in one of Britain's wealthiest neighbourhoods after a criminal gang adopted it as their home.
06/02/2009 - Firms in administration trebles - The number of businesses in administration soared in the fourth quarter of last year, with three times as many firms seeking protection from creditors as the year before.
06/02/2009 - Firms could face £3.4bn parking tax - Companies could be hit with an extra £3.4 billion tax bill if plans to charge businesses for their car parking spaces are rolled out nationwide, a trade organisation fears.
05/02/2009 - Business group hopes to found bank - A consortium of private individuals and organisations is planning to set up its own financial institution in a bid to "put the bank manager back into banking".
05/02/2009 - Government petitioned over rain tax - The Government has received a petition from former England sports stars Brian Moore and Mike Gatting, demanding that community sports clubs be exempt from a controversial tax which could close them.
04/02/2009 - Winter weather 'costs UK Plc billions' - The ravages visited upon the country by the harsh winter weather is estimated to have cost British business as much £3.5 billion this week.
04/02/2009 - Businesses suffer more burglaries - Businesses in England and Wales have suffered a jump in the number of burglaries and break-ins as the recession takes hold, according to Home Office figures.
03/02/2009 - 1,000 premises without gas supply - More than 1,000 properties in a Northumberland town were left without gas as the snow continued to fall.
03/02/2009 - Workers advised to stay at home - Businesses up and down the country are suffering as a result of the extreme winter weather after workers were told to stay at home rather than attempt to get into the office.
02/02/2009 - Fraud cases reach 13-year high - More than £1 billion worth of fraud cases were heard at UK courts last year, the highest level for 13 years - and it is expected to get worse.
02/02/2009 - Small firms making fastest job cuts - Research shows that as a result of the economic downturn, small businesses are making redundancies at the fastest rate in almost 20 years.
30/01/2009 - £50bn plan to boost business loans - A £50 billion asset-buying plan has been unveiled by the Chancellor and Governor of the Bank of England in a bid to improve liquidity for credit-starved businesses.
30/01/2009 - Thieves use digger in ram-raid - Several shops, a post office and a bank have fallen prey to ram-raiders who they cut a swathe through a Buckinghamshire town in a mechanical digger, police said.
29/01/2009 - Council pulls plug on kebab disco - A kebab shop in Newcastle which entertains late night guests with impromptu discos has been told to switch off the music because it does not have a licence
29/01/2009 - Firm to challenge 'wine' label ban - A Government ban stopping a British winemaker from describing a low-alcohol drink as wine is to be the subject of a High Court appeal held next month.
28/01/2009 - Illegal tan linked to mole changes - Skin experts have warned that an injectable tan is being sold illegally that has been linked to the changes in the appearance of moles.
28/01/2009 - Squatters evicted from £22m house - The owners of a £22 million commercial property in London`s exclusive Mayfair district have succeeded in removing a notorious band of squatters.
27/01/2009 - Sales fall blamed on beer duty rise - Beer industry sales fell by 8.3% in the final quarter of last year, prompting calls for Government help.
27/01/2009 - Fruit machine 'jackpot' condemned - Doubling of the prize money - and the stake - for pub fruit machines has been condemned by the Church of England.
26/01/2009 - Ram-raiders steal valuable antiques - Antiques worth thousands of pounds have been stolen in a ram raid on a high street shop in Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds.
26/01/2009 - Toolkit to protect firms from fakes - The Government has launched a new toolkit aimed at protecting businesses from buying counterfeit goods.
23/01/2009 - New flood work to protect firms - Flood prevention work is due to begin in a Gloucestershire town to protect homes and businesses after 57 properties were flooded in July 2007.
23/01/2009 - Village shops get £20,000 boost - A village in Hampshire has received a £20,000 grant as part of a pledge to increase funding to boost business for village shops and protect everyday services.
22/01/2009 - Shop keeper marks 100th birthday - Business is still going strong for a 100-year-old shop keeper from Prestwich in Greater Manchester.
22/01/2009 - Call for Scottish notes acceptance - Businesses in England could be forced to accept Scottish banknotes following the launch of a private member's bill.
21/01/2009 - Bid to save struggling local press - Ministers are calling for the Government to help save the local newspaper industry, which is struggling against online competition and economic problems.
21/01/2009 - HMRC cuts interest on payments - Interest rates charged on late payments and paid on overpayments have been cut following an announcement by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
20/01/2009 - Regulations cost blow to business - British business faces £1 billion a year in new regulations costs, effective in the coming months, which company bosses claimed would lead to job losses.
20/01/2009 - Armed robber targets shop staff - The owner of a travel agency in Wigan was left counting the cost after a raider held staff at gunpoint before making off with cash.
19/01/2009 - Bail-out aimed at boosting lending - Lending provision within the British economy will be strengthened by the billions of pounds earmarked for the latest round of bank bail-outs, according to Gordon Brown.
19/01/2009 - Falling pound boosts visitors to UK - The number of foreign visitors coming to the UK to shop is on the up following the fall of the pound against the euro.
16/01/2009 - Boom for local garages expected - Mechanics across the country have been told they can expect to see "people queuing around the block" as drivers opt to keep their old cars instead of splashing out on a new model.
16/01/2009 - Crunch keeping visitors at home - Tourism businesses are being hit by the credit crunch as official figures show fewer foreign visitors are coming to the UK.
15/01/2009 - Mechanics warned over radio rules - Garages that allow workers to listen to the radio could be breaking the law, according to the Performing Rights Society (PRS).
15/01/2009 - Tax effective at reducing drinking - Increasing tax on alcohol could be the best solution to the rising problem of excessive consumption, according to a study from the US.
14/01/2009 - South East tops tenant dispute poll - More disputes have occurred between tenants and landlords in the South East of England than anywhere else in the country.
14/01/2009 - Small firms get £20 billion bailout - A £20 million bailout for credit-starved small companies has been unveiled by the Government, including taxpayer-backed loan guarantees.
13/01/2009 - Warning as tax deadline looms - More than £479 million will be forked out in penalty charges this year by small businesses and workers who have failed to hit the tax self-assessment deadline, it has been predicted.
13/01/2009 - Retailers face £7bn business rates - A retail group has warned that retailers face a £1.6 billion increase in business rates unless the Government freezes rates in April and reinstates tax relief for empty properties.
12/01/2009 - Empty shops to 'increase by 15%' - Towns across the UK have fallen victim to the deepening economic gloom as shops such as Woolworths and MFI shut up their doors for good.
12/01/2009 - Firms fear widespread Gaza protests - Small businesses were hit by the violent protests in London against Israel`s continuing military actions in Gaza.
08/01/2009 - Hotel wrecked by suspect gas blast - The remains of a hotel wrecked by a suspected gas blast that seriously injured three people is being examined by fire chiefs in Aberdeenshire.
08/01/2009 - Retail prices show record fall - The last month of 2008 saw shop prices fall by the biggest margin in at least three years as consumers benefited from aggressive discounting and the VAT reduction.
07/01/2009 - Darling's VAT cut 'had no effect' - A chief executive of one of the UK's leading fashion retailers has said the temporary 2.5% cut in VAT has had "no effect whatsoever" on consumer spending.
07/01/2009 - Number of empty shops to increase - As the high street continues to be hit by the economic downturn, new research reveals that one in 10 shops will be empty in February.
06/01/2009 - 'Health check' for businesses urged - Companies have been urged to undergo a free Business Health Check service to ensure that they can survive the economic downturn.
06/01/2009 - B&B fire rules 'must be balanced' - Bed-and-breakfast operators in Scotland will not have to follow new fire regulations after the Scottish Government put the changes on hold as many establishments are already struggling to implement the existing rules, a tourist chief has said.
05/01/2009 - Farmers targeted in safety drive - A new safety drive to reduce the number of accidents in the farming industry is to target thousands of British farmers, it has been announced.
05/01/2009 - Threat of worsening credit crunch - The worsening economic outlook will prompts further cutbacks on lending by banks and building societies, according to a Bank of England report.
02/01/2009 - Red tape to hit farming in 2009 - The New Year could see a massive reduction in farm production throughout the UK due to previously unfavourable weather and the rise in "pointless" red tape, a union chief has warned.
02/01/2009 - Shop owner leaves store unstaffed - A shopkeeper's belief in the decency of his customers has paid off after he opened his store on Boxing Day but left it unattended, relying on an honesty box to collect any payments.
31/12/2008 - Last Woolworths stores set to close - Woolworths stores across the country will continue to close over the next few days after the firm went into administration, with the last 200 shops due to stop trading on January 5.
31/12/2008 - Virtual meetings 'may save money' - Businesses are being urged to consider a hi-tech way of making savings which could remove the need to travel to meetings.
30/12/2008 - Action urged to help smaller firms - The Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England have been urged to consider capping interest rate charges on credit cards in a bid to help smaller firms cope with the economic downturn.
30/12/2008 - Firms contacting debtline soars - The number of companies seeking confidential advice on debt has doubled in the past year, figures show.
29/12/2008 - Call to not raise minimum wage - The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has called for the national minimum wage not to be increased in 2009 because of the looming recession.
29/12/2008 - Experts warn of economic set-back - An economic think-tank has warned that Britain's economy could be set back five years thanks to the biggest slump in output since the aftermath of the Second World War.
24/12/2008 - Stores recall Colgate toothpaste - Sainsbury's and Boots have had to recall thousands of tubes of fake Colgate toothpaste after they were duped into selling the counterfeit product.
24/12/2008 - Stamp costs to rise 3p in April - The price of first and second class stamps is to rise by 3p in April, the Royal Mail has announced.
23/12/2008 - Firms cut back on fleet car costs - Companies are cutting costs during the economic downturn by limiting the choice of fleet cars available to staff.
23/12/2008 - Warning over insurance deceptions - A trade body has warned that increasing numbers of applicants are running the risk of invalidating their insurance cover by lying when they take out a policy in a bid to get a better deal.
22/12/2008 - VAT reductions for landlords urged - Three-quarters of a million empty homes are the target of calls to use reductions in VAT to help house some of the 1.6 million families on council-house waiting lists.
22/12/2008 - Small businesses get refund promise - New European legislation will better protect the savings of small businesses should banks fail.
19/12/2008 - Firms 'not protecting property' - Research shows that a number of businesses are not protecting their intellectual property, despite knowing it is important to do so.
19/12/2008 - Government `to act as lending bank` - Firms struggling to survive the recession may receive loans directly from the Government in a move to avoid the worst effects of the credit crunch.
18/12/2008 - Flood forecasting centre announced - The Government is to set up a £7.7 million national flood forecasting centre that would protect small business premises in areas vulnerable to flooding, environment secretary Hilary Benn said.
18/12/2008 - Move to block 2.5% VAT cut rejected - An attempt to block the Government's temporary 2.5% VAT cut has been rejected by 303 votes to 223, with a Government majority of 80.
17/12/2008 - Government sounds flood-risk alarm - Many small businesses and homeowners in flood-risk areas may not realise the dangers they are facing, the Environment Agency has said.
17/12/2008 - Browser bug leaves users vulnerable - Internet users are being warned that a security flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser has led to the infection of more than two million computers worldwide.
15/12/2008 - Christmas party fraud threat danger - Computer fraud and straight theft by drunk employees at the office Christmas party represent a severe risk to businesses, says forensic-computing investigator Andrew Sheldon.
15/12/2008 - Consultation on parking charges - A consultation on allowing councils to charge businesses for parking places they provide to staff has been launched, junior transport minister Paul Clark has announced.
12/12/2008 - Ram-raid gang targets village ATMs - A number of incidents involving overnight raids on cash machines in Kent may be linked, police have said.
12/12/2008 - Rise in property flooding risk - Figures obtained by the Conservatives show that the number of properties at risk of flooding increased by a fifth in five years.
11/12/2008 - Brown promises loan guarantee move - The Conservative Party has called on the Prime Minister to introduce a national loan guarantee scheme to help the declining economy.
11/12/2008 - New legislation 'encourages crime' - Shoplifters who steal to feed an addiction will be given lesser sentences as part of new legislation branded a "shoplifter's charter" by the Tories.
10/12/2008 - Red tape cuts for firms 'on target' - UK businesses could save £3.4 billion a year after it was announced that the Government is on track to meet a target of cutting red tape by 25% by 2010.
10/12/2008 - New payment code to support SMEs - The Government is to launch a prompt payment code to encourage big businesses to pay small companies faster.
09/12/2008 - Tobacco to move under the counter - The health secretary is set to announce moves to force cigarette sales "under the counter" despite concerns over the impact on small firms.
09/12/2008 - Sales drop bodes ill for retailers - It could be an unforgiving Christmas for beleaguered retailers hoping for a seasonal boost after figures showed the first successive monthly fall in overall sales for nearly 14 years.
08/12/2008 - Fewer firms set up as crunch bites - Company start-ups have fallen to their lowest level since the dot-com crash of 2001, reflecting the gathering pace of the UK's economic downturn.
08/12/2008 - Banks 'not lending to small firms' - A new study has revealed that many small businesses are still struggling to get affordable credit from banks, despite commitments to lend fairly.
05/12/2008 - Brown urges banks to reduce rates - Banks are facing increased pressure from the Government to pass on the latest interest-rate cut to borrowers.
05/12/2008 - Man spared jail after theatre scam - A man has been sentenced to 120-hours community service after he and his boss stole as much as £25,000 in ticket receipts.
04/12/2008 - Businesses condemn Supplement Bill - The Government plans to impose an additional supplement of up to 2p on the national business rate despite facing tough criticism from the corporate sector.
04/12/2008 - Rise in security van robberies - Police have warned that security van robberies are on the rise as the economic slowdown takes hold.
03/12/2008 - HBOS in lending move to small firms - Small-business customers have received a boost from Halifax Bank of Scotland after the firm announced a support package to help combat the economic turmoil.
03/12/2008 - Millions saved as red tape slashed - Government moves to cut red tape have saved businesses £418 million a year from the costs of dealing with employment law, ministers have claimed.
02/12/2008 - Poor transport costs firms billions - The extra costs shouldered by UK firms because of the country's "dilapidated" transport systems has more than quadrupled over the past 12 months to £23.2 billion, a business body has said.
02/12/2008 - Firms welcome virtual companies - Working entirely online as a 'virtual company' would be welcomed by nearly half the UK's small and medium-sized businesses, according to a survey.
01/12/2008 - Tourists lured in by UK discounts - As high street prices keep falling the number of tourists coming to the UK to do their Christmas shopping is increasing.
01/12/2008 - Credit-crisis company short-list - A short-list of the type of company the Government would give priority assistance to as the recession bites is being drawn up with the help of Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.
28/11/2008 - Millionth contactless card issued - Barclaycard has welcomed its one millionth customer to its contactless payment card system.
28/11/2008 - Firms' confidence down amid gloom - Bosses of Britain's small and medium sized businesses are facing big problems as a result of the recession, with confidence falling in recent months.
27/11/2008 - OFT publishes legal business guide - The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has published a new guide for businesses on how to comply with competition and consumer laws.
27/11/2008 - Businesses give fit notes the nod - Business groups have welcomed the Government's decision to replace doctors' sick notes with fit notes in a bid to reduce the £100 billion cost to the economy of ill-health.
27/11/2008 - Banks 'must start lending to SMEs' - Britain's banks have been accused of failing to honour commitments made to maintain lending to small businesses.
27/11/2008 - Slow payers hit British businesses - Customers who delay paying their bills are becoming an increasing problem for British businesses, according to new research.
25/11/2008 - Fit note system to be introduced - In a bid to combat Britain's "sick-note culture" and help people back into work, the Government is to introduce a new system involving electronic "fit notes".
25/11/2008 - Small firms get £7bn rescue package - A £7 billion package to help small firms that includes deferred tax rises and access to loans has been pledged by Chancellor Alistair Darling.
24/11/2008 - Bank to freeze overdraft charges - Up to a million small businesses could benefit from a move by a major bank to freeze overdraft charges in a bid to ease growing financial pressure on the sector.
24/11/2008 - Industry hails court music ruling - Pubs, restaurants, hotels and other businesses could face a reduction in the fees they pay for playing background recorded music following a landmark appeal ruling in the High Court.
21/11/2008 - Rental properties flooding market - Some buy-to-let landlords are facing a fall in rental income after figures showed that the lettings market was being flooded with property that had failed to sell.
21/11/2008 - 'Action needed to help businesses' - The Government is being urged to take action to ensure businesses make it through the financial downturn.
20/11/2008 - Brown vows to encourage lending - The Government will take "all measures necessary" to get the banks lending again to small businesses, Gordon Brown has announced.
20/11/2008 - Code on migrant workers launched - Businesses employing migrant workers will be able to sign up for a new voluntary code of practice that is being launched in Lincolnshire.
19/11/2008 - Fire safety advice for small firms - Small business owners within the hospitality industry are being given advice on how to comply with fire safety rules in a new Government-produced booklet.
19/11/2008 - Cheap fuel prompts inflation fall - More interest rate cuts are likely to be on the cards after inflation fell at its fastest rate for 16 years during October, thanks in the main to cheaper fuel prices.
18/11/2008 - Blitz on dangerous Chinese imports - Dangerous goods imported from China are prompting more companies to check that they are fully protected by their public-liability, product-liability and other insurance cover.
18/11/2008 - Firms pessimistic over economy - Companies have become increasingly pessimistic about the outlook for the economy with business confidence hitting a new low, a report has revealed.
17/11/2008 - Group voices unemployment fears - Business leaders have warned more than one in 10 workers could face unemployment if Government bids to kick-start the economy fail.
17/11/2008 - £4m fund open to Midlands firms - The country's manufacturing heartland is to receive a £4 million boost in a bid to offset the damage caused by the global credit crunch.