LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would avoid “heavy-handed state intervention” of its national press after phone hacking victims urged him on Sunday to remain open-minded about the recommendations of an inquiry into media ethics.

Actor Hugh Grant, singer Charlotte Church and more than 50 other victims of press intrusion said in letter to Cameron they feared he had already decided to reject statutory regulation of the media before the inquiry’s findings were published.

LONDON, Oct 7 (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron said
Britain would avoid “heavy-handed state intervention” of its
national press after phone hacking victims urged him on Sunday
to remain open-minded about the recommendations of an inquiry
into media ethics.

Actor Hugh Grant, singer Charlotte Church and more than 50
other victims of press intrusion said in letter to Cameron they
feared he had already decided to reject statutory regulation of
the media before the inquiry’s findings were published.

LONDON (Reuters) – A senior police officer accused of taking part in a cover-up of police failings in the worst sporting disaster in British history – a soccer stadium crush in which 96 fans were killed – said on Thursday he would retire next year.

Norman Bettison, chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, said he would stand down in March to allow a full investigation into allegations about his “integrity” to be conducted.

LONDON (Reuters) – A senior police officer accused of taking part in a cover-up of police failings in the worst sporting disaster in British history – a football stadium crush in which 96 fans were killed – said on Thursday he would retire next year.

Norman Bettison, chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, said he would stand down in March to allow a full investigation into allegations about his “integrity” to be conducted.

LONDON/DUBLIN (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince William and his wife are to make a criminal complaint against the photographer who took topless pictures of the duchess and against the French magazine that published them, their office said on Sunday.

The pictures have rekindled memories in Britain of the media pursuit of William’s mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.

DUBLIN/LONDON (Reuters) – An Irish tabloid newspaper broke ranks with its British and Irish rivals to publish topless pictures of the wife of Prince William on Saturday, risking legal action from the royal family and prompting its British co-owner to cut ties with the title.

The royal couple have already begun action against the French magazine Closer for publishing a dozen shots of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – the former Kate Middleton – taken as she slipped off her bikini top while sunbathing at a secluded French country house.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain is considering the use of new entrants in its banking market to operate a state-backed business bank that would offer finance to companies too small to raise money on equity or capital markets, Business Secretary Vince Cable said on Tuesday.

Ministers say the expansion of smaller firms could help revive a struggling economy, but such companies have found it difficult to obtain loans from Britain’s largest banks while they rebuild their balance sheets after the financial crisis.

LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Britain is considering the use
of new entrants in its banking market to operate a state-backed
business bank that would offer finance to companies too small to
raise money on equity or capital markets, Business Secretary
Vince Cable said on Tuesday.

Ministers say the expansion of smaller firms could help
revive a struggling economy, but such companies have found it
difficult to obtain loans from Britain’s largest banks while
they rebuild their balance sheets after the financial crisis.

LONDON (Reuters) – London’s Olympic organizers launched an investigation into empty seats on the first day of the Games on Saturday.

On a school holiday and after months of public complaints over the inability of thousands in Britain to buy tickets, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, the minister responsible for the Olympics, said he was disappointed by the empty seats and that the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) were looking into it.

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) – London’s Olympic organisers
launched an investigation into empty seats on the first day of
the Games on Saturday.

On a school holiday and after months of public complaints
over the inability of thousands in Britain to buy tickets,
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, the minister responsible for the
Olympics, said he was disappointed by the empty seats and that
the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG)
were looking into it.