'Council wants to revamp test purchasing strategy'

Durham County Council wants to change the way it nabs bars and off-licenses selling booze to under-age drinkers. The council says it will this week discuss plans which it hopes will improve the effectiveness of test purchasing. Proposed amendments include raising the age of testers from 16 to 17 and a half, and allowing youngesters to work in pairs in the evening. - Sunderland Echo​

Supermarket giant Tesco has denied it is being hypocritical for backing calls to end cheap alcohol promotions as it promotes a deal which sees two cases of beer being sold for £16. The retailer said an end to cut price deals would only work if imposed on all supermarkets. "If we were to raise the price of alcohol unilaterally it would have no impact on binge drinking because people would just buy alcohol elsewhere," added a spokesman. - Daily Mail​

Lovers of bargain-priced Australian wine have been warned to drink up while they can after the worst crisis to hit the industry in 50 years has led hundreds of growers to leave the industry. The current glut of cheap wine will soon dry up, according to experts, as growers focus on high quality, premium-end products. - Daily Telegraph​

Concerns have been expressed over the sale process for Crest Nicholson, the housebuilder which was once a 50:50 venture between Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter and HBOS. Hugh Osmond, the tycoon behind Pizza Express and Punch Taverns, has made an approach thought be worth around £350m for the business which is now owned by a consortium of banks following a debt-for-equity swap last year. - Scotsman​