A troubled water company in the North at the heart of a long-running investigation into the awarding of contracts could be scrapped, Northern Ireland’s regional development minister warned today.

An investigation into the alleged misconduct of a senior civil servant in the North will be carried out by a retired leading official in the Welsh Assembly, it was announced today.

The fiasco following Liverpool’s stolen FA Cup tickets could have been avoided if Millennium Stadium officials adopted the same system Chelsea use to get fans through the turnstiles.

Liverpool fans whose FA Cup final tickets were stolen will not receive duplicate versions for the Millennium Stadium showpiece event, the Football Association have confirmed.

Manchester United fans who might be tempted to stage a disruptive Cup Final demonstration against the takeover of their club by an American businessman were warned today that police have drawn up their plans for the game with the precision of a military campaign.