'Alcohol-related hospital admissions soar by 47% to a million in the last five years'

The number of people admitted to hospital because of alcohol is approaching a million a year, shock figures revealed yesterday. Drink-related admissions have soared by 47 per cent in just five years, with some parts of the country experiencing double the number of admissions than others. And there were concerns last night that the scale of the problem could be even worse - Daily Mail​

The UK's biggest pubs group has said it was now providing £2 million a month to help licensees battle continued tough trading conditions. The support, which is in the form of rent concessions and special discount schemes, has increased from the average of £1.6 million a month seen during the year to August, Punch Taverns revealed - Press Association​

The chief medical officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, scourge of smokers and leader in the fight against swine flu, has announced he is to quit after 12 years in post. Donaldson, who originally planned to retire last summer when he turned 60 but stayed on to oversee the UK response to the swine flu pandemic, will leave in May. Donaldson also told the government to introduce a minimum price for alcohol - The Guardian​

The Gouais blanc grape, disparaged for centuries as an inferior wine ingredient fit only for peasants, has been revealed as the mother of many of today's finest and most sought-after varieties. A genetic study has shown that Gouais blanc is the chief ancestor of modern grapes such as Chardonnay, the grape used to make Chablis and a component of Champagne, and Gamay noir, which is most famous as the mainstay of Beaujolais - The Times​

The number of people in Wales admitted to casualty departments with alcohol-related problems rose by 30% from 2002 to 2008, according to statistics. More than 55,000 people were admitted during that period, with the highest level of admissions at Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, at 5,825 - BBC​

Up to six inches of snow could fall later this week in parts of Britain after a bitterly cold night where temperatures in London dropped to 23F (-5C) It is unlikely there will be enough to make a snowman in most places but rural areas of the South East may see between almost an inch of snow today and more at the weekend - The Telegraph​