April 2011 news archive
- Brain linked to yob behaviour
- Physical changes in the brain may contribute to teenagers displaying unruly or antisocial behaviour, scientists have said.
- Consumer confidence stays low
- There has been no dramatic improvement to consumer confidence, which remains dramatically low, a survey has revealed.
- Tax-free Junior ISAs launched
- The Government has launched its new Junior ISAs that will allow parents to save up to £3,000 a year for their children.
- New routes from UK airports
- Airlines are starting more than 120 new services from UK airports this summer.
- Britons plan for packed lunch
- A survey has revealed that many people will be looking to save this summer by taking a packed lunch on day trips.
- Families face spending squeeze
- Households will be almost £1,000 worse off in 2011 compared with two years ago as their spending power is squeezed, a report has warned.
- Couples driven to road rage
- Road rage is often reserved for couples according to new research, with four out of five people stating they are irritated by their partner's driving.
- Changes to MOT considered
- The Department of Transport is considering changing the frequency of MOT tests.
- Firms see profit warning rise
- The first quarter of 2011 saw the highest number of company profit warnings in two years as soaring inflation hit consumer spending, a study has revealed.
- Wages 'below inflation rate'
- Wages are failing to keep up with the cost of everyday living, figures have shown.
- Britons unfazed by debt burden
- The average Briton is now more than £8,000 in debt, but the majority are unconcerned by the size of their borrowing, according to a survey.
- Driver error main crash cause
- Driver error is by far the main cause of serious road accidents, a study has revealed.
- Council car perks under fire
- Councils have been rapped by ministers for giving employees over-generous motoring perks.
- Spring worst for drink-driving
- More people are caught drink-driving in spring than at Christmas, Government figures have shown.
- Probe over quarry blast damage
- Officials from the health and safety watchdog are expected to visit a quarry where an explosion caused rocks to smash into homes.
- Calls for ash cloud technology
- Budget airline easyJet is calling for more industry support for technology aimed at detecting ash cloud, the type that kept several planes out of the skies following a volcanic eruption last spring.
- Morrisons offers cheaper fuel
- Morrisons has joined other superstores promising cheaper fuel, offering customers spending more than £40 in store 6p off each litre of petrol or diesel.
- Go green to beat C-charge
- More than 200 green cars are available to motorists looking to dodge the central London congestion charge, research has shown.
- Firms pay out £15bn dividends
- Investors in UK companies are on track to receive their highest dividends since 2008, figures have suggested.
- Warning over premature hike
- A group of economists has warned that hiking interest rates prematurely could have "disastrous consequences" for the UK economy.
- Prices rise but market stalls
- Overly optimistic sellers increased their asking prices by 1.7% in April but potential buyers continued to stay away from the market, leading to a glut of unsold homes, research indicated today.
- Car browsers stall on purchase
- The majority of motorists do not have the confidence to buy a car online, according to new research.
- 4x4 market defies fuel hikes
- The market for sportscars, 4x4s and luxury cars is proving immune to record fuel prices, according to an industry expert.
- Families '£10 a week poorer'
- The cost of living is rising faster than workers' pay, giving families £10 a week less to spend than a year ago, research has found.
- Two million due to head abroad
- A survey has revealed that about two million Britons should go abroad between tomorrow and next Tuesday and up to 60% of motorists back home could also head off for a trip.
- 'Fastest' broadband faces test
- Virgin Media is to test what it claims is the fastest broadband ever in London later this month.
- Travellers warned over malaria
- Doctors are warning people travelling abroad to take anti-malaria tablets with them after figures showed cases increased by nearly 30% over two years.
- Less money withdrawn from ATMs
- Less money was withdrawn from cash machines across Britain over the Easter break than during the same bank holiday weekend last year.
- DIY motor maintenance concerns
- More motorists are completing DIY on their cars due to current financial constraints, but some drivers are still missing out, according to STP.
- Economy 'flat' despite growth
- The UK economy grew by 0.5% in the first three months of this year, according to official figures.
- Cat owners urged on neutering
- The Blue Cross is calling on cat owners to get their pets neutered after taking in a record number of homeless litters last year.
- Lost passport reasons revealed
- Almost 300,000 UK passports need to be replaced each year, figures show, and Britons have a myriad of reasons why their travel document goes missing.
- Cash buying of homes hits peak
- Cash buyers purchased a record 40% of homes changing hands in January with the proportion of properties sold to those who do not need a mortgage more than doubling in five years.
- Consumer confidence down: Poll
- Hopes for a recovery in the UK economy have been dealt a blow after a poll showed a sharp fall in consumer confidence during April.
- Webb unveils 'fairer' pensions
- Pensions minister Steve Webb has said a flat-rate state pension would be "simpler and fairer" for people heading towards retirement as he unveiled plans for reform.
- Fiesta 'top-selling used car'
- Ford Fiestas were the top selling second-hand car last year, according to figures.
- "Tough" year ahead for economy
- The British Chambers of Commerce has warned of a difficult year ahead for the economy, despite its return to positive growth.
- IAM promotes green driving
- The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is advising drivers to adopt "green driving techniques" - which it claims will help cut their fuel bills by 10%.
- Easter getaway to hit roads
- Figures have suggested that around 10 million cars will take to the road over the Easter break.
- Pensioners 'just getting by'
- Nearly half of pensioners in the UK are "just getting by" as rising living costs put a strain on their finances, a study has found.
- Pensioners 'releasing funds'
- More pensioners continued to unlock money from their properties during the first three months of the year, according to research.
- US crackdown on cyber crime
- A ring of international computer thieves is being taken apart by the FBI and the Justice Department, it has emerged.
- Cheques inquiry to be reopened
- The plan to phase out the use of cheques disregards the needs of millions of vulnerable Britons, it has been claimed.
- Car advert tips off gun robber
- A car owner has been robbed at gunpoint at home by someone posing as a buyer interested in their high-performance car.
- New rules on fuel bill hikes
- A new rule introduced as part of a bid to make power companies "play it straight with consumers" has come into force.
- Car safety system 'toothless'
- The system for overseeing car safety in the UK should be totally overhauled, an influential car magazine has said.
- Households will be £200 poorer
- The average household will be around £200 poorer with the looming changes to the tax and benefits system on April 5.
- State pension plan outlined
- Iain Duncan Smith has unveiled plans for a flat-rate, £140-a-week state pension after describing the existing system as complex and in "crisis".
- Most not saving for retirement
- Figures have shown that just 30% of 18 to 29-year-olds are putting money away for their retirement.
- Interest rates remain at 0.5%
- Bank of England policymakers have kept interest rates at their record low, meaning the base rate for the Bank has now been at 0.5% for 25 months.
- Workers enjoy extended holiday
- Many workers will be enjoying an extended holiday from Friday thanks to a late Easter and the royal wedding.
- First-time buyer loans grow
- A small improvement in the mortgage market in February was driven by an increase in the number of first-time buyers, figures reveal.
- John Lewis boosted by weather
- Good weather in the run up to Mother's Day helped department store chain John Lewis post a much-needed sales improvement today.
- Shoppers warned over hikes
- Consumers have been warned to prepare for further price hikes after a report showed that factory gate prices increased at their quickest rate since October 2008.
- £60m paid for poor streetworks
- Council taxpayers are forking out £60 million each year for faulty streetworks, the Local Government Association (LGA) said.
- Early pensions use 'to stop'
- The Government has announced that people will not be able to use their pension savings before they retire.
- Gold surpasses price barrier
- Gold has gone over $1,500-an-ounce for the first time as investors focus on safer investments amid concerns over the economy.
- March mortgage lending rise
- March saw mortgage lending rise by 21% as both buyers and people remortgaging returned to the market.
- House hunters hit new high
- The number of house hunters hit an eight-month high last month, according to new figures.
- Tax and benefit changes listed
- The Government is introducing wide-ranging changes to the tax and benefit systems from April 5.
- One in 17 cars 'are clocked'
- The practice of clocking may have been conducted on as many as one in 17 cars, new figures suggest.
- Drivers 'fear buying online'
- Motorists will spend hours trawling the internet looking for the best deal on a car, but will not have the confidence to buy online, research has revealed.
- Treasury defends tax changes
- The Government has defended itself over claims that Chancellor George Osborne's tax and benefits changes have caused financial problems for families.
- Graduates 'earn more faster'
- Graduates earn more faster and for longer, according to official figures.
- Car thieves' targets revealed
- Car thieves are most keen on stealing BMW X5s and Range Rovers, a survey has suggested.
- Car sales down again - SMMT
- There was no surge in the new car market in March despite the traditional attraction of new number plates.
- Travel to Tokyo 'deemed safe'
- The Government has downgraded its advice on the risk of travelling to Tokyo following an improvement in conditions at the country's stricken nuclear power plant.
- House price decline continues
- The downward pressure on house prices continued in March, and there is little sign of a let-up, new research suggests.
- CPI inflation falls to 4%
- Figures have shown that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate of inflation fell to 4% last month.
- Cash boost for flood rescuers
- Grants totalling more than £800,000 have been given to emergency teams and voluntary groups to improve the response to flooding in England and Wales.
- Drivers 'unhappy' with roads
- The increasing number of potholes caused by the severe winter weather is leading people to feel more dissatisfied than ever with the UK's roads, a survey has found.
- Chevrolet tops 'reliable' poll
- Chevrolet has taken the top spot in a survey on car reliability.
- More 'lying to borrow money'
- Many more people are lying in a bid to borrow money as the credit crunch and recession take their toll, a new study has found.
- Crime in decline, says survey
- A major survey has revealed a 3% overall reduction in crime in Britain - but burglary is on the increase.
- Travellers handed web warning
- Holidaymakers have been warned to be smart when using their phones and portable PCs when overseas this summer.
- Posture warning for travellers
- Travellers have been urged to look after their posture if they are jetting off on a long-haul holiday over the Easter period.
- Easter fuel prices warning
- Drivers hitting the road this bank holiday weekend will be forking out £2 more for every 100 miles than they did at the same time last year thanks to record fuel prices, figures have shown.
- Gold and silver hit new highs
- Investors concerned at the escalating violence and political uncertainty in north Africa and the Middle East appear to be turning to gold and silver.
- ISAs 'have not boosted saving'
- The Government has come under pressure to scrap Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) after a think-tank said they had failed to encourage savers.
- Stag and hen party warning
- Grooms and brides to be have been warned about the situations they might find themselves in when having stag and hen parties abroad.
- Bank holidays cheque warning
- The high number of bank holidays that are occurring in a short space of time because of Easter and the royal wedding could cause a two-week delay in cheques clearing, it has been warned.
- Speed cameras switched back on
- The fight against speeding drivers in one county has received a boost as speed cameras switched off last year because of the spending cuts, have been turned on again.
