Carlsberg to shut historic Marston’s Brewery with 310 jobs at risk

Carlsberg Britvic is set to close its Marston’s Brewery in Burton upon Trent with around 310 workers at risk, almost 200 years after first making beer in the Staffordshire town.

The British arm of Danish beer giant Carlsberg said it is planning to shut the brewery and logistics operation at the site in the summer of 2027.

Carlsberg said the closure move is driven by structural decline in the ale category and a ‘need to create greater long-term value’ from the group.

Asos says ‘unauthorised party’ impersonated contact to gain log-in details

Asos has said an ‘unauthorised party’ gained access by impersonating a trusted contact to get log-in information, after customers received a phone alert saying that the retailer had been hacked.

The fast fashion business told customers to ‘remain cautious’ over unexpected messages or calls claiming to be from Asos, in an email on Thursday morning.

It comes after customers received a mobile app notification on Tuesday, titled ‘Asos hacked’, which directed them to a Telegram account.

BMW launches range-topping iX3 M60 alongside sleek iX4

BMW has broadened its iX3 line-up while adding a new iX4 to its electric model range.

Things kick off with the new iX3 M60 xDrive, which arrives as the most powerful car in the iX3 to date. Underneath, you’ll find a dual-motor setup which combines to produce 603 bhp, unlocking a 0-60mph time of 3.6 seconds.

As with other M Performance cars, the iX3 M60 also gets a revised suspension setup for enhanced cornering abilities, while the shift paddles on the steering wheel can be used to adjust the car’s response while on the move.

The markets

The FTSE 100 outperformed European peers on Thursday as higher oil prices continued to weigh on blue chips.

In London, the FTSE 100 index ended down 16.90 points, 0.2%, at 10,441.60. It had earlier traded as low as 10,367.25.

In European equity markets on Thursday, the CAC 40 in Paris ended down 0.5%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt slid 1.2%.

Thursday on Car Dealer

Hendy appoints former Cazoo man as exec chair – but Daksh Gupta remains committed

Hendy has appointed former Cazoo chairman Tim Isaacs as executive chair to help lead its turnaround, following an £18.1m loss in 2024, breached banking covenants and ongoing restructuring.

Group 1 Automotive’s UK division sinks further into the red as losses double in 2025

Administrators ‘assist police’ after collapse of supercar dealer GVE London

Podcast: One in five car buyers would rather visit the dentist than start searching for a car

Cazoo research suggests one in five consumers would rather visit the dentist than shop for a car, highlighting worsening trust issues. CMO Lucy Tugby calls for greater transparency, accreditation and clearer buying processes.

Why digital tyre inspections could be a significant money-maker for car dealers

Anyline says digitising tyre inspections with smartphone technology could save technicians time, improve customer trust and increase tyre sales by providing consistent measurements, photographic evidence and digital records.

Volkswagen puts aside £725m for car finance compensation but warns bill could climb

Volkswagen Financial Services has set aside £725m for potential motor finance compensation, turning a £136m profit into a £486m loss. Bosses warned the final bill could rise significantly depending on the FCA’s redress scheme.

Polanski vows to carry on as Greens leader after by-election defeat to Labour

Zack Polanski has vowed to carry on as Green Party leader after he failed to win a seat in Parliament in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

Mr Polanski was defeated by Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali, who retained the seat for Labour after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer resigned.

She secured 45% of the vote to the Greens’ 33%, a majority of 3,364 but seeing a 13% swing to the Greens, whose vote share was up by 22.4%.

Andrew locked in battle over evidence found through unlawful search warrants

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains locked in a High Court battle over whether evidence obtained during raids of two of his properties can be used in the criminal investigation into him after police acknowledged the search warrants used were unlawful.

Mr Justice Hilliard said on Thursday that while the former Duke of York and Thames Valley Police had reached an ‘agreement’ that the warrants were unlawful, police have since launched a bid to retain evidence gathered during the searches in February.

He said Andrew opposes the bid to retain the evidence, with a hearing in the case to be held in private in 2027.

Weather outlook

Northern England and Scotland will be windy and wet initially, with rain clearing to brighter spells and showers.

Wales and Northern Ireland will see heavy rain clearing later, with sunshine following.

The Midlands and southern England will be cloudy and wet, with rain gradually clearing southwards.