'UK might be on verge of recession, says King'

The Bank of England governor, Mervyn King, admitted yesterday that the economy might grind to a halt this year - but warned that the continuing risk of inflation made further interest rate cuts unlikely - The Guardian​

Soft drinks and confectionery group Cadbury Schweppes bucked yesterday's downward trend in the market. Its shares added 6p to 593.5p as analysts at JP Morgan issued an upbeat note on the company, saying its shares were undervalued. After the planned demerger of Cadbury's drinks business, due within the next couple of months, the chocolate firm could be vulnerable to a bid, according to the bank - The Guardian​

Britain needs to wake up to the epidemic of binge-drinking among teenagers and the misery it is causing thousands of families, one of the country's most senior policemen has warned. Ken Jones, the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, issued a stinging rebuke to parents who supply their underage children with booze, citing police data showing up to 50 per cent are getting it from parents - The Times​

Another man has been beaten and left for dead after politely asking a gang to stop urinating into his garden. The shocking attack came as a police chief lashed out at the drinks industry last night for selling beer "cheaper than water" and leaving hospitals to pick up the bill in injuries and bloodshed - Daily Mail​

Scotland's leading salmon-farming company was at the centre of a major product recall by Britain's fourth-largest supermarket chain yesterday, after some fish were discovered to have been tainted with white spirit - The Scotsman​

A teenage beauty queen ended up in hospital after her glass of wine was spiked in a busy bar. Naomi Smith, 19, who is the reigning Miss York, had to be taken home by friends after she appeared to be blacking out at the pub - The Times​