Sainsbury’s, reeling from last week’s decision by the UK regulator to block its takeover of rival Asda, was alone among Britain’s big four supermarket groups in seeing sales fall in the latest 12-week period, industry data has shown.

Britain’s competition regulator has blocked Sainsbury’s proposed £7.3bn (€8.4bn) takeover of Walmart-owned Asda — a huge blow to the supermarket groups who wanted to combine to overtake market leader Tesco.

Troubled insurer RSA may have to sell its best assets, leaving it concentrated in slow-growing markets such as its British home patch, to raise up to £1bn (€1.15bn) and safeguard its credit ratings.

Major investors in troubled insurer RSA have called on the More Than owner to consider putting itself up for sale, it was reported today.

RSA’s chief executive Simon Lee has quit after the insurer warned on profits for the third time in six weeks, prompting the chairman to initiate a review that could lead to the sale of part of the business.