Britain's largest bank HSBC suffered an embarrassing shareholder revolt as more than 14pc of investors failed to back its directors' pay packages.

More than 30 of the Government's flagship projects are at serious risk of failure with some classed as unachievable, Whitehall documents have revealed.

Households paid off £241m more mortgage debt than they borrowed in an effort to get on top of their debts. Before May last year, net lending had never been negative since the BBA started collecting the data in 1997.

Suffolk's growing reputation as the “green coast” has received a major shot in the arm after officials approved a 140 turbine offshore wind farm.

The euro zone has been reminded lately that although investors are showing renewed confidence in its financial markets that its crisis is still simmering below the surface.