BUSINESSES are doubling the time it takes to pay their bills as the recession bites. A report from Creditsafe, the business and credit information experts, finds the average number of creditor days, those taken to clear invoices, has effectively doubled from 9.76 in 2006 to 18.98 in 2008.

A 19-year-old was charged with the murder of an elderly guesthouse owner in Co Down.