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Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Spaniels replace 'unhealthy' French bulldogs as UK's favourite dog breed
With distinctive ears and playful personalities, it's little wonder French bulldogs have been the bestselling dog for ten years. But they have finally been knocked off the top spot – with the Prince and Princess of Wales ' favoured breed, the cocker spaniel, coming up as top dog. A Pets4Homes report looked into 7.5million pets which have been rehomed in the past six years and found 'flat-faced' breeds such as the French bulldog, which are expensive and can have health problems, are less popular. In contrast, cocker spaniels have rocketed up to take the crown. William and Kate got their spaniel Orla in 2020 after Lupo, also a cocker, died. Also popular is the miniature dachshund – beloved by celebrities including Prince Harry 's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas and Game Of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke – which has made it into the top three for the first time. The number of people investing in a new pet rose sharply during the pandemic as families spent more time at home. This was followed by a slump in the market as over-supply, rising living costs and adoption fatigue took its toll. But demand was up 33 per cent last year, which caused puppy prices to jump 14.3 per cent. While cockers are the bestsellers, goldendoodles – a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle – are the most sought-after, with the greatest number of enquiries per dog on Pet4Homes website. They had around 900 interested buyers per listing, followed closely by maltipoos – a Maltese and a poodle – on 802, and then golden retrievers on 771. The most expensive pets are English bulldogs, which sell for an average of £1,544 – up by a quarter on last year. Meanwhile, cavalier King Charles spaniels cost £1,528, up by more than a quarter, golden retrievers are £1,521 on average – up 15.8 per cent – and boxers come in at £1,472, up 17.2 per cent. Axel Lagercrantz, chief executive of Pets4Homes, said: 'French bulldogs being dethroned as the number one bred dog reflects a wider societal turning away from dogs that appear to be unhealthy, as well as a wider diminishing popularity of bulldogs. 'Bulldogs also tend to be very expensive – the English bulldog being the most expensive dog breed, according to our report – which means as the costs of keeping a pet rise, the appetite for very expensive dogs decreases.'
The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
Government prepares for release of landmark review into ailing water sector
The Government is bracing for the release of a landmark review into the water industry, which could reportedly lead to the abolition of embattled water regulator Ofwat. The Independent Water Commission, led by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, will outline recommendations to turn around the floundering sector in its final report on Monday. The review was commissioned by the UK and Welsh governments as part of their response to systemic industry failures, which include rising bills, record sewage spills and debt-ridden company finances, although ministers have ruled out nationalising companies. The Government will respond to the recommendations in Parliament later on Monday. The review reportedly includes proposals to establish a new system of regulation, which is currently split between Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Ministers will announce a consultation that could lead to axing Ofwat, which oversees how much water companies in England and Wales can charge for services, according to the Guardian. Ofwat has faced intense criticism for overseeing water companies during the years that they paid shareholders and accrued large debts while ageing infrastructure crumbled and sewage spills skyrocketed. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Environment Secretary Steve Reed suggested he was in favour of a new model where regional boards managed water in their areas, including representatives from water companies, local authorities and other organisations. He said: 'I think the catchment-based model has a lot to commend it. Because if you can manage what's going into the water better, you can clean up the water faster.' Asked on Friday if there were plans to scrap Ofwat as the regulator, Downing Street said the Government will wait for a final report. A No 10 spokesman said: 'We are waiting for Sir Jon Cunliffe's final report next week, you can expect us to set out our response after that on what more we will do to turn the sector around.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We are not going to comment on speculation.' Ofwat declined to comment. Mr Reed is also expected to announce a new Government pledge to halve sewage pollution from water companies by the end of the decade, during broadcast interviews on Sunday. He said: ' Families have watched their local rivers, coastlines and lakes suffer from record levels of pollution. 'My pledge to you: the Government will halve sewage pollution from water companies by the end of the decade.' But in his Sunday Times interview, he acknowledged that bills were unlikely to fall from their current level, saying instead that an investment of £104 billion in the sector would 'avoid the need for any big bill hikes in the future'. It comes after the Environment Agency on Friday said the number of serious pollution incidents caused by water companies across England rose by 60% in 2024 compared with the previous year. The figures showed companies recorded a total of 2,801 pollution incidents, up from 2,174 in 2023. Of these, 75 were categorised as posing 'serious or persistent' harm to wildlife and human health – up from 47 last year. The Environment Agency said it is clear some companies are failing to meet the targets it has set on pollution, attributing failures to persistent underinvestment in new infrastructure, poor asset maintenance and reduced resilience because of the impacts of climate change. Earlier on Friday, the Public Accounts Committee also released a report which called the level of pollution 'woeful' and recommended an overhaul of the regulation system. The cross-party group of MPs said the Government must act with urgency to strengthen oversight of the sector to rebuild trust and ensure its poor performance improves. The Independent Water Commission published its interim report in June, which found the sector to be beset with 'deep-rooted, systemic' failures. While the paper outlined the commission's direction of travel, it stopped short of providing detailed recommendations on policy, regulatory reform and corporate governance, which are now expected in the final report. The interim review pointed to the need for better regulation of water companies but it did not recommend the wholesale scrapping of Ofwat, which some have urged. Nationalisation, which some campaigners have also called for, was excluded from its terms of reference when commissioned by the Government. Meanwhile, the Conservatives accused Labour of copying the previous government's policies and doing nothing to halt rises in water bills. Shadow environment secretary Victoria Atkins said the Government should be 'transparent' about where the money to fix Britain's sewers was coming from, warning that consumers may have to stump up some of the cash. She added: 'Labour's water plans must also include credible proposals to improve the water system's resilience to droughts, without placing an additional burden on bill payers and taxpayers.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
M&S to make huge change by launching first-of-its-kind store perfect for holiday goers and it opens in just HOURS
M&S is making a huge change by opening a first-of-its-kind store that is perfect for Brits jetting off on their summer holidays. The home of Percy Pig will open its first ever airside store at Heathrow Airport on Monday, July 21. 1 It means jet setters will be able to stock up on iconic M&S food after going through security. From tomorrow, holiday goers will be able to pick up sandwiches and sweets from its new branch at Gate A, located within Terminal 5 of the busy airport. Later this week a second store will open at Gate B, which will sell gifts such as its popular biscuit tins as well as prepackaged food. Alex Freudmann, managing director at M&S Food said: "This launch builds on the success of our well-established landside airport stores across the UK and allows us to serve customers even closer to their departure gates. "Whether travellers are looking for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or a British gift to take home, we're aiming to bring some M&S magic to their journey through Heathrow.' The high street stalwart already has seven branches across popular UK airports, including Luton and Manchester. But this is the first time flyers can get their hands on its products after passing through security and waiting to board the plane. It is not the first time in recent months that M&S has spruced up its store estate. Last Autumn it opened its first ever standalone clothes store in London's Battersea Power Station. The new store features a curated selection of women's and men's clothing, focusing on premium lines and beauty products. Shoppers race to M&S as one of their best selling items which is a mum-essential viral are scanning for just 63 PENCE Earlier this year, the brand also said it would open six Foodhalls across London and revamp nearly a dozen sites after committing £90million to the investment. It builds on the previous £30million investment made last year, and the extra £50million investment in stores across the Northwest of England. The brand-new Foodhalls will open their doors in Covent Garden, Leytonstone, Clapham Common, Putney, New Malden and Fulham Broadway. They will be completed "over the next few years, pending planning permisison", according to M&S. What else is new at M&S Elsewhere, M&S said it would dish out treats to millions of customers as a thank you following its cyber attack. Over 1.8 million customers will receive birthday gifts this month, and those who missed out in May and June will also be rewarded. Eager customers will be able to choose between one of two of M&S' bestselling food products. These could include Percy Pigs or a Swiss Truffle Assortment Box, a Bouquet of Flowers or bottle of Prosecco, a punnet of Grapes or a packet of Outrageously Chocolatey Round Biscuits. Sparks birthday treats were among the casualties of the cyber attack for those who had a birthday over the spring and early summer. It comes after M&S is picking up the pieces from a vicious cyber attack which occurred in April and cost the firm £300million in lost profits. For weeks the beloved retailer was unable to process online orders and store shelves were left bare. Last week, three teenagers and a woman were arrested in the UK as part of an investigation into attacks, which also targeted Co-op and Harrods. They have since been released on bail. HISTORY OF M&S M&S was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. The first official Marks and Spencer store opened in Manchester in 1901. Throughout the 1920s, M&SA gre rapidly, opening more and more stores across the country. The retailer made its reputation in the early 20th century by selling only British-made products. It began textile sales in 1926 and started selling food from 1931. The St Michael trademark was introduced in 1928 as a guarantee of quality and value. This was initially used only for a small range of textiles but was extended over the years to cover all goods sold by M&S. M&S introduced its first in-store cafe in 1935 in the Leeds store. It provided cheap, hygienic, and nutritious mass catering. By 1942, M&S opened 82 cafes across its estate. At the outbreak of the Second World War, M&S had 234 stores. By 1945, over 100 of these had been damaged by bombs, and 16 had been completely destroyed. BY 1960, M&S pioneered in the sale of fresh poultry following the invention of the cold-chain process. In the 1970s and 1980s, M&S pushed into international markets including the US, Canada and France. In 1979, M&S introduced the Chicken Kiev to its food halls across the UK. In 1992, Percy Pigs were launched. The Autograph range of clothing was introduced in 2000, and the St Michael brand was slowly phased out. In 2019, the group announced 110 store closures as part of its plans, affecting several longstanding high-street shops. In September 2020, M&S partnered with Ocado to allow for home delivery of the chain's full food range. M&S has recently announced new stores and is freshening up a swathe of others in a boost for shoppers.
