Zavvi calls in the administrators
Music and games retailer Zavvi became the third retailer in 24 hours to fall into administration as the the high street's nightmare before Christmas deepened.
Zavvi - the former Virgin Megastore chain which employs more than 3,400 workers - called in Ernst & Young after it was crippled by the collapse of Woolworths' Entertainment UK wholesaling division.
EUK was the company's main supplier and its demise last month left Zavvi unable to take customer orders.
Zavvi's woes follow those of tea and coffee merchant Whittard of Chelsea and menswear retailer The Officers Club, which were both put into administration and sold on Tuesday.
Tom Jack, Zavvi's joint administrator, said: "In the absence of a buyer for EUK, and with dire trading conditions on the high street, the Zavvi group has seen a material fall in sales and the directors have now been forced to place parts of the group into administration."
E&Y is administrator of Zavvi UK and liquidator of Zavvi Guernsey, although Zavvi Ireland is not currently subject to any formal insolvency proceedings.
The administrator said all Zavvi's 125 stores will open as normal on Boxing Day for the post-Christmas sales, while efforts to sell the business as a going concern continue.
"We are grateful for the continued support of all employees during this difficult time and would like to thank everyone at Zavvi for their commitment and hard work as the business continues to trade," Mr Jack added.
Zavvi is the country's largest independent entertainment retailer, with 114 stores in the UK and 11 in Ireland employing 2,363 permanent workers and 1,052 temporary staff.
Earlier this month, 700 workers were made redundant from EUK's head office and distribution centres in Middlesex after administrator Deloitte's efforts to sell the business as a going concern stalled. EUK will continue operating for the moment with a reduced workforce of 375.
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Queen reflects on 'sombre' times
The Queen will use her Christmas message to address how the nation is suffering as people deal with the fall-out of the credit crunch.
The Queen will reflect that this year's festivities will take on a more "sombre" tone for many.
The UK is battling with rising unemployment and uncertainty in the financial markets.
In this year's Queen's Speech, she will say: "Christmas is a time for celebration, but this year it is a more sombre occasion for many. Some of those things which could once have been taken for granted suddenly seem less certain and naturally give rise to feelings of insecurity."
The Queen's Speech will also pay tribute to those who have led unselfish lives in the service of others.
In her annual address, the support the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh receive from their family is highlighted, and the Prince of Wales's 60th birthday, celebrated in November, is mentioned.
The broadcast will also feature previously-unseen home movie footage of a young Princess Elizabeth playing with Charles, aged just one, at Clarence House in 1949.
The Queen delivers her address from Buckingham Palace's Music Room standing in front of a grand piano covered with family photographs and with a large Christmas tree in the background.
Her speech is one of the rare occasions when the Queen does not turn to the Government for advice and is able to voice her own views. It is written by the Queen and usually has a strong religious framework, reflects current issues and often draws on her own experiences.
The message will be transmitted on both television and radio at 3pm on Christmas Day. The broadcast, produced by the BBC, will also be available on the Royal Channel on the YouTube website from the same time, and will be shown in Commonwealth countries
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Hundreds held over fake documents
Five hundred people have been arrested for trying to use fake documents to get into the UK in the past year, the Home Office said.
The applicants were stopped by border officials as they applied for visas before boarding planes to Britain.
Cases included two women from the Philippines who wanted visas to join their British "husbands" in the UK, only for officials to discover they were already married to Filipino men.
One traveller tried to use a stolen Colombian passport, one of a batch of 495 taken in an armed robbery in 2004, and 20 Indian nationals were arrested for trying to use false tax returns in support of their visa applications.
Three Nigerian men were also arrested as a slew of forged passports from the African country were detected.
Police Minister Vernon Coaker said: "Stopping these fraudulent attempts to enter Britain is a crucial part of our fight to protect our borders from those intent on abusing the system.
"That's why anyone requiring a visa - three quarters of the world's population - is fingerprinted before they travel and one in five visa applications were refused so far this year.
"These 500 arrests are just the tip of the iceberg - once referred to police, as in the case of the Colombian armed robbery, these arrests can lead investigators to a much larger network of criminals."
The UK Border Agency said it stopped nearly 210,000 people boarding planes to the UK without proper documents from 2003 to 2007.
All their fingerprints remain on the agency's website.
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'Sex on beach' Briton back in UK
A Briton convicted of having sex on a Dubai beach has arrived back in the UK.
Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, south east London, landed at Heathrow Airport, his lawyer confirmed.
Acors and Michelle Palmer, 36, of Oakham, Rutland, were initially given three-month jail terms for unmarried sex and public indecency, but these were suspended on appeal.
Acors had made repeated attempts to return to the UK but hold-ups in the deportation process, combined with problems with his tickets, delayed his homecoming.
His lawyer Andrew Crossley said: "I can confirm that Vince has now returned to the UK. He's in good spirits and is pretty jolly. He's absolutely delighted that he's home for Christmas.
"I've just spoken to him and he's very pleased he has finally got back and is looking forward to spending time at his home. He spent the flight back relaxing and watching DVDs."
Acors and Palmer were seen having sex on Jumeirah Beach in the early hours of July 5 after meeting at a champagne brunch in a five-star hotel.
They denied having unmarried sex and public indecency but admitted being drunk.
Palmer, who was working in Dubai as a publishing executive, was sacked after the allegations emerged. Acors was visiting the country at the time.
Hassan Matter, who represented Palmer and Acors during their trial in Dubai, confirmed earlier that Palmer arrived back in the UK several days ago. He said: "I worked on her deportation. She didn't have any problems because she had been in Dubai to work."
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Christmas vigil for surviving twin
Parents mourning the death of one of their conjoined twin daughters are spending Christmas at the bedside of her surviving sister as she fights for life.
Faith and Hope Williams were born on November 26. They were joined from the breastbone to the top of the navel and had a shared liver but separate hearts.
Hope died following surgery to separate the twins at the beginning of the month. Faith survived but remains seriously ill at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Doctors had hoped to wait until they were older and stronger to operate but decided that their shared circulatory system and two separate hearts could make it risky.
Parents Laura and Aled have been at her bedside since the operation and are expected to maintain their vigil over the Christmas period.
Laura Williams, 18, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, is Britain's youngest mother to give birth to conjoined twins. Her husband, Aled, 28, is the twins' father.
Doctors warned the couple that the twins might not survive after a 12-week scan revealed the problem but they refused to consider a termination.
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Pledge to restore power to homes
Residents who feared a cold Christmas after a gas main ruptured and halted supplies to thousands of homes have displayed true British spirit in the face of adversity.
Around 18,000 homes in the Rossendale area of Lancashire were left without fuel on Monday after a gas main ruptured.
The glitch meant many families feared being unable to cook their Christmas Day turkey.
The incident also knocked out electricity to 30,000 homes in the area but United Utilities restored supplies on Monday night.
National Grid has pledged that residents who were at home to answer the door to their engineers would be reconnected.
Around 9,000 homes have been reconnected since Tuesday night by an army of up to 300 engineers, National Grid said.
Homes in Bacup, Waterfoot, Rawtenstall, Newchurch and Crawshawbooth were all affected when the ruptured main set light to an overhead power cable in Holme Lane, Rawtenstall.
Work to repair the damaged gas pipe was completed on Tuesday morning, but engineers have had to repressurise and test the system and check each individual property.
After Monday's rupture, the National Grid warned householders that gas may not be restored in time for Christmas Day.
Tor View School in Haslingden has become the nerve centre for the big switch-on operation, with engineers poring over maps of the area spread out on the floor.
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Marine died in 'act of wickedness'
Three Royal Marines killed in a suspected suicide blast in Afghanistan were victims of an "act of wickedness", a vicar said as mourners gathered at the funeral of one of the troops.
Damian Davies, a 27-year-old father from Telford, Shropshire, and fellow Marines Sergeant John Manuel and Corporal Marc Birch, died on December 12.
The three died as a result of an explosion south of Sangin, Afghanistan, after they were reportedly approached by a 13-year-old boy pushing a wheelbarrow in which a bomb was hidden.
At his funeral in his home town, hundreds of mourners bid Marine Davies - a member of the Commando Logistic Regiment - a final farewell.
Mr Davies's pregnant widow Joanne and his 18-month-old son Matthew were among the congregation that filled St George's Parish Church, Telford, for the full military service. Locals put festive preparations on hold as they lined the streets to pay tribute to the young Marine.
A firing party of 12 from the Commando Logistics Regiment performed a "present arms" as the coffin was carried into the church by six pallbearers from the same regiment.
Around 20 members of the Royal British Legion formed a guard of honour at the entrance to the church. On top of the coffin, which was draped with the Union flag, sat Marine Davies's Royal Marines cap, alongside a Christmas hat.
Pink and white flower tributes included the word "Daddy" and, from his wife, the initials "MSHMX" - which stands for "My Sexy Husband, Merry Xmas".
A note attached to the flowers read: "To my darling Mr sexy husband man, you sleep tight now and I will see you again one day. Nighty nighty, pyjama, pyjama. Love always and forever, your Mrs Princess Tinkerbell, Joanne. xxxx xxxx"
Around 150 Royal Marines attended the 40-minute service, led by the Rev Peter Lawley. Many in the congregation - which numbered around 400 - fought back tears as Marine Davies's brother, Sergeant Warren Davies, 34, read the poem Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep.
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