'Punch Taverns under pressure'

Punch Taverns: The embattled pub company faces pressure to write down the £6.5 billion value of its 8,400 pubs after selling six of its top London hostelries to Fuller, Smith & Turner, the London brewer, for £21.1 million, an 18 per cent discount to their book value - The Times​

The government faced fresh calls today to increase the price of alcohol, after research revealed that young people in the UK reported some of the highest levels of teenage binge-drinking, drunkenness and alcohol-related problems in Europe. British schoolgirls aged 15 and 16 are binge-drinking even more than their male classmates, with fresh evidence that their behaviour is contributing towards high rates of teenage alcohol-related accidents and unprotected sex - The Guardian​

Shoppers buying alcohol in Tesco will have to prove their age if they look under 25. The move follows a landmark prosecution under new laws designed to stop the sale of alcohol to children. Britain's biggest supermarket has 360 stores with 24-hour licences and another 325 able to sell drink until midnight. From next week a 'Think 25' campaign-will replace the current 'Think 21' policy in all 2,000 stores - The Daily Mail​

A deal between the SNP and Labour to come up with a joint plan to tackle Scotland's love affair with alcohol appeared to be close yesterday. Labour yesterday backed an SNP amendment to defeat a Conservative motion on alcohol, and sources within both camps suggest that agreement can be found if problems over minimum pricing can be resolved. Labour is known to be split within its group of MSPs on minimum pricing, which is opposed by Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, and the SNP is believed to favour a price of 40p per unit - The Scotsman​

Capital Pub Company: The AIM-listed London pub operator said that trading had "held up well" and announced the acquisition of the Bishop, in East Dulwich, for up to £750,000, taking its total estate to 25 pubs - The Times​