Sterling held its steepest decline in more than six years as data confirmed that the UK economy gained momentum at the end of last year.

Motorsport

A union has branded as “disgraceful” the timing of an announcement that nearly 3,000 workers in the UK are facing redundancies over the holidays.

IT might be hard to credit, but there has been a downside to the remarkably mild year we have enjoyed. The prolonged fine weather and abundance of food created ideal breeding conditions for rats and mice and is resulting in a current boom for pest control firms which are hard-pressed to meet demand for their service.

A major rise in the number of cockroaches entering the country has been blamed on imported, exotic cuisine.

The menu was novel and certainly varied — and they just gobbled it up.

Grub’s up — literally. A company which normally eradicates pests is going to treat people’s palates to the unusual taste of salted weaver ants; barbecued mole crickets; and chocolate-dipped worms.

Do not fear — even the worst cases of woodworm in furniture can be treated.

As City workers swapped their lunchtime sandwiches for crickets, ants and pigeon burgers, it all got too much for one young boy who vomited after eating a handful of mealworms.

A red-hot weapon has been unveiled in the fight against problem birds — chilli extract which sticks to birds’ feet, then gives them a spicy surprise when they tuck them up next to their genitals.

An upbeat note from Goldman Sachs boosted the banking sector today and helped limit losses for London’s leading shares index.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen by 0.3%, although it was held back by the worries over Italy.

THERE has been a 300% increase in calls for help in eradicating wasps in the last 10 years, says a leading pest control specialist.

London's FTSE 100 Index slipped into the red today on concerns over global political unrest and moves to curb inflation in China.

Miners and banking stocks dragged the FTSE 100 Index into the red today as concerns over global political unrest hit investor sentiment.

Rentokil Initial unveiled a further restructuring of its ailing City Link operation today after the delivery arm slumped to another loss.

The FTSE 100 Index edged higher today as traders sat on the sidelines ahead of an expected interest rate hike in China this weekend.

Rentokil Initial today said the boss of its troubled parcel delivery service City Link had stepped down amid ongoing trading woes at the division.

Rentokil Initial posted a profit today after a strong performance in its rat-catching division offset ongoing difficulties at its City Link delivery arm.

PAUL GRIFFIN has a very good record in the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan but goes to the line for Friday’s start as an unknown quantity.

The FTSE 100 Index made a late session rally today as fears eased over the US Federal Reserve's unexpected overnight rate hike for emergency bank loans.

The FTSE 100 Index shed almost 2% today as worries over Chinese growth and mixed results from US banks sent tremors through world markets.

The FTSE 100 Index slid almost 2% into the red today as the spectre of US interest rate hikes overshadowed trading.

Share bounce backs for British Airways and Royal Bank of Scotland helped nudge the FTSE 100 Index higher today and offset disappointing data out on Wall Street.

London’s blue chip share index staged a sharp recovery today after a smaller-than-expected £25bn (€27.9bn) money boost from the Bank of England.

“NOW I can go back to my real job of teaching instead of mopping floors and stuffing windows with newspaper.”

Investors paused for breath today after the FTSE 100 Index’s best month in six years.

Investors took stock today after the FTSE 100 Index’s best month for six years amid cautious trading on the London market.

The FTSE 100 plunged more than 3% into the red today as fears over a worsening global recession ensured a gloomy end to the trading week.

CHILDREN in a national school in Galway are being taught in a 109-year-old, crumbling, rat-infested building, it was claimed yesterday.

British Airways shares led a fightback for the FTSE 100 Index today as the flagship airline said it still expected to make a profit in the current financial year.

Rentokil Initial today said parcel delivery business City Link remained “significantly loss making” as the group reported a 55.9% slump in operating profits

Donal Hickey says the insects are growing in number

BEDBUG infestations here are up by two-thirds, according to experts in pest eradication.

Pest control-to-hygiene firm Rentokil Initial today said first-half profits slumped by more than half as it battles to revive its ailing City Link business in a worsening economic climate.

The FTSE 100 Index slipped into the red today after a raft of insurance firms endured a difficult session.

Pest control-to-hygiene firm Rentokil Initial today admitted it faced “considerable” challenges in returning the business to health as it gave its fourth profits warning since December.

South Dublin County Council says it has successfully disposed of several cylinders containing the deadly chemical hydrogen cynanide.

A LOCAL authority has told concerned Wicklow residents that chemicals set to be destroyed near their homes are “toxic, highly inflammable and in certain circumstances can be lethal”, locals were told this week.

SOLDIERS representatives said yesterday they had been left in the dark about a hazardous operation to destroy batches of hydrogen cyanide in the Wicklow mountains on an army firing range.

FAMILIES have reacted with fear and anger over plans to destroy batches of the deadly chemical hydrogen cyanide by explosion on Wicklow lands later this month.

WICKLOW councillors have expressed concern at plans by a pest control group to burn batches of hydrogen cyanide — a deadly chemical once used by the Nazis — on the fringes of a national park.