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    TalkTalk's attempts to repair its poor reputation for customer service have suffered a blow after it topped the telecoms watchdog's table of broadband complaints between July and September last year. Complaints about the company's broadband service reached the highest level in 18 months as it shut down call centres after it discovered employees were scamming customers. TalkTalk grew suspicious in 2014 that workers were stealing customer details to convince them to hand over personal banking information. After concluding an investigation, TalkTalk said it withdrew all customer service operations in August. On Friday it claimed that this had caused temporary disruption to its customer care process, and was responsible for the rise in complaints to Ofcom. Indian cal...

    Greener UK believes that there may be a lack of willpower to ensure high standards across the UK. A coalition of leading environmental groups says there is a significant risk that British environmental protections will be reduced after Brexit, despite the government’s positive rhetoric. Greener UK, which represents 13 campaign groups including WWF, National Trust, RSPB, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance and the Wildlife Trusts, says there are serious concerns that the government will not cooperate with the European Union after Brexit on environmental issues which need international agreement. Although the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has made several recent announcements, such as the 5p levy on plastic bottles, Greener UK believes there may be a lack of w...

    Company bosses who put workers pensions at risk to line their own pockets will face huge fines under plans unveiled by Theresa May. The Prime Minister said tough new rules would be introduced to end the unacceptable abuse by irresponsible business chiefs following the collapse of Carillion. The construction and outsourcing giant which employs 43,000 people was left mired in £1.3bn of debt and saddled with a £600m pensions deficit after going into liquidation this week. Thousands of suppliers and subcontractors owed money have been left in limbo and seen work paused on building sites, prompting anger over pay awards enjoyed by the firm's bosses. Writing in the Observer, Mrs May said top executives had too often reaped big bonuses for recklessly putting short-term p...

    Emmanuel Macron says it will be possible for Britain to secure a bespoke trade deal but only if the UK accepts certain preconditions. The French president said that while a special solution could be secured, full access to the single market without accepting its rules was not feasible. The comments were made during an interview recorded for BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday. Macron has been in the UK for his first visit since taking office. On Thursday, at the end of a joint press conference with Theresa May at Sandhurst military training college, he rejected the idea of a tailored Brexit deal for Britain’s financial services sector. Macron said full access to EU markets would not be possible unless the UK pays into the EU budget and accepts all its rules. ...

    Normally, those asking for a signature from a royal receive a polite, No, I can’t. Though Meghan did pose for at least one selfie with a teen admirer during the visit. Caitlin, who had been waiting in the grounds of Cardiff Castle with hundreds of other well-wishers, didn’t mind the slight misspelling. I don’t really care, she told reporters. My heart is still racing. I’ve never got a royal autograph before. This is going to make everyone jealous. She thought it was great. She is so welcoming. She just seemed so easy with the crowd, Johnston said. Radio host Josh Andrews, 25, had painted a red and gold crown on his face and that seemed to work out for him, too. It’s a bit of Markle Sparkle, he said. I just wanted to see if we could get her to come over. She went, ...

    Boris Johnson’s idea of a bridge across the English Channel to boost economic links with France has been dismissed as far-fetched by a French minister, as No 10 distanced itself. The UK shipping industry also poured scorn on the notion, saying: Building a huge concrete structure in the middle of the world’s busiest shipping lane might come with some challenges. And the Foreign Secretary was accused of a masterstroke in diversion at the moment that the Brexit vote he inspired was pulling up the drawbridge from the major economies on the continent. The backlash came after Mr Johnson floated the prospect of a crossing at Thursday’s UK-France summit, saying it was ridiculous that the two countries were linked by the Channel Tunnel only. His aides claimed that, when he...