Nina Lakhani recalls her heartbreaking interview with Tony Nicklinson and his wife

In profit...

Buoyed by Qatari cash, the Andalusians scent a Champions League spot but progress has been uneven

Redrow said its recovery looked set to continue after a strong start to the second half, as the builder reported an 80 per cent jump in first-half profits, driven by a focus on higher-priced family houses.

High street banks turned on the lending taps in January with the most mortgage approvals for more than two years, the British Bankers' Association (BBA) said yesterday.

Tang blames his wife after the media expose the truth about his secret luxury basement

Britain's builders were stuck in first gear in January, as the industry's growth slowed to a crawl, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (Cips) said yesterday.

A focus on family homes in the south of England has left Bovis Homes on course to deliver a "significant" increase in profits, it said today.

Builders fared better than manufacturers in December but nerves over possible spending cuts are still to the fore, an industry survey revealed yesterday.

Construction activity in the UK grew last month, according to a closely-watched survey, but experts warned the wider economy was still likely to have stagnated at the end of last year.

Bellway has become the latest British housebuilder to display signs of life in the property market, as it forecast a 5 per cent jump in sales in the first half of its financial year yesterday.

Stobart, the road haulier, reported an increase in half-year profits and sales, despite warning of a "tough market" for the business.

A surge in supermarket promotions knocked Stobart Group off course in early summer as the transport and logistics company struggled to meet retailers' demands at short notice.

Persimmon cheered investors in the housing sector yesterday with news of a sharp acceleration in profits as its margins improved over the first half of the year.