'Pubs targeted by police drink-drive warning texts'

Police are to use Bluetooth mobile phone technology to warn revellers not to drink and drive as part of a new campaign. People in drinking "hot-spots" in Edinburgh will be targeted with hard-hitting texts. Lothian and Borders Police is the first force in Scotland to use Bluetooth technology to drive home the message to drivers that getting behind the wheel while under the influence could have fatal consequences - The Scotsman​

Supermarkets yesterday made clear they have no intention of scrapping alcohol promotions despite being criticized by MPs for fuelling Britain's "binge-drinking" culture by selling brands cheaply as loss leaders. The British Retail Consortium, which represents Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, said supermarkets were the most responsible sellers of alcohol, while pubs and clubs were often "the sources of insobriety" - The Financial Times​

In the FTSE 250, Punch Taverns fell 11½p to 61½p after Redburn analysts said that the pubs group was heading for "zombie" status. The broker said that Punch's shares were worthless, given that investors probably would never see another penny from the company - The Times ​

Motorists who agree to act as designated drivers to let their friends take a festive tipple are to be offered free soft drinks by Angus's pub and club landlords in a pioneering initiative. All pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels are being invited to join the reward scheme for designated drivers, which was announced by Tayside Police yesterday to coincide with its latest road safety campaign - The Scotsman ​

Cobra Beer, the Indian-themed lager brand, is prepared to split its UK and Indian businesses and sell them to separate buyers as its founder, Lord Karan Bilimoria, seeks £185m ($274m) for the group. Lord Bilimoria, who owns around two-thirds of Cobra, is selling the brand after Diageo showed interest in it over the summer - The Financial Times ​

Parents were today warned not to sleep with their babies after drinking alcohol following two deaths. Three-month-old Theo Linus Frith and 16-month-old Aiden Barrios-Santana both died after sleeping in the same bed as their parents, who had been drinking, in separate incidents in Bournemouth and Dorset, earlier this year - The Independent ​