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Business headlines at 04:46

Customer Backlash Forces Co-op To Shelve Eggs From Battery Hens
The Co-op is to become the latest supermarket to stop selling eggs from battery hens amid a growing consumer backlash over the impact of cheap food on animal welfare.

Households Set For Gas And Electricity Price Hikes By Npower
Millions of households are bracing themselves for a rise in bills after price hikes of 17.2% for gas and 12.7% for electricity came into effect.

Mortgage Approvals Lowest For Three Years
The number of people applying for mortgages to buy a new home fell to a three-year low in November.

Darling Gives Banks Watchdog Sharper Teeth
Alistair Darling has announced plans to give the Financial Services Authority greater powers to step in if another bank suffers similar problems to Northern Rock.

Bebo Beats Facebook Into Second Place
Bebo has beaten its rival Facebook to be named the best-performing social networking site by an independent computing magazine.

Work Drivers 'Falling Asleep At The Wheel'
As many as one in 10 people who use their vehicles for work have admitted falling asleep at the wheel in the past 12 months, according to a new survey.

Christmas Bankruptcy/IVA: Thousands Go Bust After Xmas
A third of people who go bust during the first three months of the year will have been tipped over the edge by spending too much at Christmas, an accountancy firm is predicting.

MPs: HIPS Delay Down To Ministers Losing Their Nerve
MPs have criticised the Government for its delay in introducing the controversial Home Information Packs.

RSPCA: Fresh Squawks Over Cheap Chickens
Supermarkets are being urged to stop selling cheap chicken meat from birds reared in poor conditions.

Wage Deals Fuelled By Higher Inflation
Inflation has pushed average pay rises up to 4% in recent weeks - a hike of 0.6% compared to last month, a new report has revealed.