News in April 2006
- 30 Apr 2006 Book chain takeover Book buyers look to have been foiled in their attempts to stop Waterstone's multi-million pound bid to buy one of its main rivals.
- 28 Apr 2006 Crash tests Two new vehicles offer limited protection to pedestrians in a crash according to tests carried out by Euro NCAP, the crash-test organisation co-founded by Which?.
- 28 Apr 2006 A&E care Patients in England are confused about where they should turn for medical care when GP surgeries are closed, according to new research from Which?.
- 27 Apr 2006 Summer borders Gardening Which? has trialled hundreds of perennials to find the most impressive and reliable for anyone wanting to create a dazzling summer border.
- 26 Apr 2006 ASA ruling A Kentucky Fried Chicken TV advert showing call centre workers singing with their mouths full has become the UK's most complained advert ever.
- 26 Apr 2006 Supermarket profits Supermarket giant Tesco has further strengthened its grip on the retail sector after reporting record profits of GBP 2.21 billion - a jump of almost 17 per cent on the previous year.
- 26 Apr 2006 Interest paid Lloyds TSBhas announced it will start paying instant interest on cheques from the moment customers pay them in.
- 26 Apr 2006 ASA raps Sharp Electronics giant Sharp has been criticised for wrongly claiming a TV would be 'ideal' for watching high-definition (HD) TV.
- 24 Apr 2006 Change of tactic Shoppers at PC World will no longer face hard-sell tactics after the company revealed it is to ditch commission-based selling.
- 24 Apr 2006 Child safety online A new project has been unveiled to crack down on internet child porn and help keep kids safe online.
- 24 Apr 2006 Garden improvement Some people spend up to GBP 10,000 on improving their gardens when they move to a new home, a survey has revealed.
- 21 Apr 2006 Childrens health News that the number of obese children aged 11 to 15 has nearly doubled in a decade has been described as a 'public health time bomb'.
- 21 Apr 2006 M&S food labelling error Marks and Spencerhas pulled batches of it bean and spinach salad from shelves over fears they could trigger a potentially deadly reaction in people allergic to soya.
- 20 Apr 2006 Call charges The cost of calling 0870 numbers is to be cut to the same price as national landline rates, the telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced.
- 20 Apr 2006 BA price war British Airways has slashed fares on its short haul routes by up to 50 per cent in a direct challenge to low cost airlines.
- 20 Apr 2006 Rail station safety A senior police officer has admitted that passengers are right to be worried about their safety at some railway stations.
- 19 Apr 2006 Diabetes treatment Diabetes campaigners have hit out at the healthcare watchdog after it said insulin inhalers - an alternative to injections - weren't cost-effective in treating the condition.
- 19 Apr 2006 Fares mis-quoted Travel giant Thomas Cook has been carpeted for advertising flights which turned out to be over 40 per cent more expensive.
- 18 Apr 2006 GM crop concern Environmental groups claim the European Commission has been approving GM foods and crops despite having serious doubts over their impact on health and the environment.
- 18 Apr 2006 GP's pay The government has defended the money paid to GPs after it was reported that some are making up to GBP 250,000 a year.
- 14 Apr 2006 Alternative planting Gardeners are being urged to spend less time trying to look for loopholes in hosepipe bans and instead invest in drought-tolerant plants.
- 14 Apr 2006 Gardeners friend Anyone cutting the lawn this weekend should watch out for hedgehogs emerging from hibernation, says a hedgehog welfare group.
- 13 Apr 2006 Laptop trick Police have issued a warning after people who thought they were buying a cheap laptop were tricked into walking off with a rather different set of chips - a bag of potatoes.
- 13 Apr 2006 High energy prices People are more worried about the soaring cost of their household energy than their health, according to a new survey.
- 13 Apr 2006 UK holiday travel Millions of people will take to the roads and head for the UK's airports over the long weekend.
- 12 Apr 2006 Supplement scare Bootshas withdrawn two batches of its own-brand fish oil capsules due to contamination with chemicals linked to cancer.
- 11 Apr 2006 Free broadband Mobile phone chain Carphone Warehouse has confirmed it will offer 'free' high-speed internet access to its landline customers.
- 11 Apr 2006 FSA pays homage Two initiatives which provide healthy food in deprived areas have won the Food Standards Agency's annual Dame Sheila McKechnie Awards.
- 11 Apr 2006 False claims Ads for Walkers crisps featuring Gary Lineker are being probed after complaints that they claimed the crisps were more healthy than they really are.
- 11 Apr 2006 Phone calls on planes A major European airline has been the first to announce that it will allow mobile phones to be used during flights.
- 11 Apr 2006 Travel warning Tourists planning trekking holidays in Nepal have had their plans thrown into chaos after the Foreign Office advised 'against all but essential travel' to the Himalayan country.
- 10 Apr 2006 Drivers dodge the law Drivers are increasingly trying to avoid driving fines by using a bogus address so they can't be traced.
- 10 Apr 2006 Broadband price battle Mobile phone chain Carphone Warehouse is set to start a broadband price war according to media reports.
- 10 Apr 2006 World Cup games New laws have come in today to crack down on the illegal touting of tickets for this summer's World Cup in Germany.
- 07 Apr 2006 Apple step change Applehas unveiled new software which allows its latest computers to run Microsoft Windows.
- 07 Apr 2006 Missing post A thieving postman has been jailed for four months after he admitted hiding thousands of letters at home because his bag was too heavy for him.
- 06 Apr 2006 Digital changeover Four in ten UK viewers are completely in the dark about the switch to digital television and only seven per cent know when it's happening in their area, according to Which? Online.
- 06 Apr 2006 Car child seats Child car seat fitting services at some shops are so bad they could be endangering children's lives, Which? warns today.
- 06 Apr 2006 Contact lens costs Most contact lenses for weekly or monthly wear are virtually identical to cheaper daily disposable lenses, says Which? today.
- 05 Apr 2006 Electrical retailer to go Electrical giant Dixons is to disappear from the high street to concentrate on selling online following a major shake-up by its owner.
- 05 Apr 2006 Dietary help? Folic acid could be added to bread to cut the number of babies born with spina bifida after a change of heart by the government's food watchdog.
- 05 Apr 2006 Ruling on credit cards Credit card companies have been told that penalty fees - such as late payment charges - should be cut by as much as 50 per cent.
- 04 Apr 2006 Lack of concern Some top food companies don't 'care a jot' about tackling the diet-related health crisis, a report claims today.
- 04 Apr 2006 Cheaper energy Legal moves to open up European energy markets are predicted to save British gas and electricity consumers billions of pounds a year.
- 04 Apr 2006 Tax concerns Taxes may have to rise if the pension system is to be reformed, the Pensions Commission said today.
- 03 Apr 2006 Law Society failure The body which polices solicitors' in England and Wales could be fined after its plan for handling complaints was thrown out for being 'inadequate' and letting down consumers.
- 03 Apr 2006 New way to save The Post Office has announced it's taking on the big banks with the launch of its first own-brand savings account.
- 03 Apr 2006 Cheque useage falling The death of the cheque has moved closer after one of the 'big four' supermarket chains announced it was considering banning them from its stores.
- 01 Apr 2006 Perfect summer lawn Problem lawns can be transformed in time for summer as long as you start soon and use the right tools and the right tricks.
- 01 Apr 2006 Extortionate charges Which? is issuing all banks and building societies with an ASBO - an Anti-Social Banking Order - for raking in billions in unauthorised overdraft charges.
