When Irish actress Eva Birthistle left Dublin 15 years ago she had barely £300 in her pocket.

Alliance & Leicester provided the London market with some much-needed cheer after shares in the banking group raced ahead today.

The London market reached a new three-year high today as the soaring price of crude delighted investors in oil majors.

Oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell pushed the London market higher today after oil prices rose to a record high.