'Girls now as bad as boys for underage drinking'

Eleven- to 15-year-olds in London drink an equivalent of 180,000 bottles of lager a week, a survey reports today. The study, carried out for the London Assembly, also reveals that young Bangladeshis and Pakistanis - whose Islamic faith forbids alcohol - are now drinking far more - The Guardian ​

The financial engineers behind Punch Taverns boasted that the company had been constructed to withstand almost any trading environment. They can't say that any more. Yesterday the group was obliged to call on investors for £375m. The sum may seem trifling in the context of total borrowings of £4.46bn but the dilutive effect on shareholders is dramatic - The Guardian​

Now chief executive Giles Thorley - tail between his legs - is having to crawl back to the equity markets raising £375million to pay back a bond placing next year. Failure to do so might have threatened the company's existence - Daily Mail​

Pub operators are queuing up to reclaim millions of pounds in overpaid VAT on fruit machines after casino and bingo hall owner Rank Group won a £26m case in the high court last week. Whitbread and Mitchells & Butlers have lodged claims, each of which is said to be worth several million pounds - Daily Mail​

Jeremy Clarkson and James May have apparently revealed that they would like to open a Top Gear pub. The motormouth presenters have reportedly been talking about it, but it may not happen until they leave the BBC car show - Daily Star​

A Muslim waitress has been awarded a £3,000 pay out for sexual harassment after being made to wear a revealing red dress for work. Fata Lemes, 33, quit her job after claiming that the low-cut dress was "disgusting" and made her look like a "prostitute" - The Times ​