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A BEVVY levy will hit drinkers and diners in the pocket when it comes in next month.

The packaging tax could add £1 to a pack of 12 beers as pubs, brewers and supermarkets pass on added costs to customers.

Alamy

A bevvy levy will hit drinkers and diners in the pocket when it comes in next month[/caption]

The new tax, the so-called extended producer responsibility, will charge retailers or producers per tonne of packaging that they use.

The idea is that businesses pay the recycling costs, rather than councils.

Plastic packaging will have a greater fee but because glass and metal are heavier it could end up costing businesses even more — and that will be passed on to households.

Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show the tax on packaging will add 5p to every 330ml bottle of beer and 7p on a 500ml bottle of ale.

A pack of 12 bottles will go up by 84p.

The BBPA’s Emma McClarkin said: “These new fees could push up the price of iconic British beers which will be a massive blow to brewers, pubs, and punters.

“UK brewers make an average of just 2p profit per bottle of beer, so they’ll have no choice but to pass on extra painful costs to the consumer or possibly end up being forced to leave the market entirely.”

The BBPA also warned that the tax would mean pubs pay twice to dispose of bottles.

They will be classed as household waste, despite pubs already being charged for recycling under commercial waste.

The move could cost the sector £60million.

DOG thefts in the UK fell by a fifth last year, police figures show — but the number of stolen French bulldogs shot up.

There were 51 taken, an increase of more than a third on 2023.

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Dog thefts in the UK fell last year, but stolen French bulldogs surged by over a third[/caption]

It is now the breed most likely to be targeted by crooks as they can cost up to £5,000 from reputable breeders.

In all, an estimated 1,808 dog thefts were rep­orted, according to figures obtained by Direct Line Pet Insurance.

Rottweiler thefts rose most sharply, then border collies and chihuahuas.

In contrast, thefts of XL Bullies fell by almost half following the ban on the breed introduced in February last year.

One in five dogs reported stolen was returned to their owner.

The fall in thefts may be down to new laws making it a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.

The Pet Abduction Act came into effect in May last year.

Adam Burgin, head of Direct Line Pet Insurance, said: “As a nation of pet lovers we hope to continue the downward trend in the number of stolen dogs.

“Our research over the last decade has shown dog theft is a persistent issue and hopefully the Pet Abduction Act 2024 will encourage a change in criminal behaviour in the long-term.

“Those who have fallen victim to dog theft will know the intense stress and trauma that comes with having their beloved pet snatched away from them, often with no closure on knowing what happened to a member of their family.”

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IT’S time for you to pick your top telly Moment of the Year for the Bafta TV Awards.

A panel of experts, and me, have whittled down dozens of possibilities into these six belters.

Now it’s over to you to decide which deserves a gong at a glittering ceremony in London on May 11.

The P&O Cruises Memorable Mo­ment award was deservedly won by the clip of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear, in 2023.

Last year it honoured Tommy Lee Royce’s fiery death in front of Margaret Cawood in Happy Valley.

Both seemed frontrunners from the moment they appeared on the shortlist. But this year appears to be more of an open race.

Over to you to pick the winner . . . 

1. Bridgerton, Netflix

LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) reveals his feelings for Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan)[/caption]

THE steamy period drama saw Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton)   reveal his feelings for Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) in a romantic carriage ride.

2. Gavin & Stacey, BBC One

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Smithy’s loved ones are asked to stand if they think he’s doing the wrong thing[/caption]

SMITHY (James Corden) is about to wed Sonia (Laura Aikman). In the ceremony, he asks his loved ones to stand up if he’s doing the wrong thing – and they all do just that.

3. Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, ITV1

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Jo Hamilton (Monica Dolan) is left in tears when her debts double before her eyes[/caption]

SUB-POSTMISTRESS Jo Hamilton (Monica Dolan) calls the Horizon helpline. Despite following their advice, she is left in tears when her debts double before her eyes.

4. Rivals, Disney+

Planet Photos

ONE of the sauciest sections in the sexy show, sees Emily Atack and Alex Hassell strip off for naked tennis as Rupert Campbell-Black and his lover Sarah Stratton.

5. Strictly Come Dancing, BBC One

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BLIND comic Chris McCausland stunned when, with his pro partner Dianne Buswell, the proud Liverpudlian delivered a near-perfect waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone.

6. The Traitors, BBC One

Eroteme

MANY viewers thought Diane Carson was secretly Paul’s mum, but then in a piece to camera, away from the other contestants, she admitted: “Paul just couldn’t be my son . . . but Ross is.”

Goodnight Sweetheart stage reboot

NICHOLAS LYNDHURST is almost single-handedly keeping the West End alive.

After Only Fools And Horses was turned into a musical, his other big BBC show, Goodnight Sweetheart, could also be getting a stage reboot.

The sitcom saw Gary Sparrow use a time portal to lead a double life with two women; his wife in 1990s London and a barmaid in the capital during World War II.

Now co-creator Maurice Gran, appearing on the Only Fools and Horses Podcast, said: “We’re working on a stage play of Goodnight Sweetheart, we’re possibly going to do a book and we might even do some radio scripts.

“It still has the love of fans I’m delighted to say. It’s a well remembered show, compared to other shows from the same era.

“It made us think that maybe we’ll do something in another medium because we had a lot of good ideas for it.”

Du Beke: Foxtrot off, Jez

ITV

Anton Du Beke has hit back at the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host[/caption]

STRICTLY judge Anton Du Beke has hit back at Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host Jeremy Clarkson for ribbing him over his disastrous performance on the TV quiz’s celebrity version.

Disaster struck at the £32,000 question – about musicals.

The song-and-dance man asked the audience and they failed him so his £16,000 dwindled to the £1,000 safety net.

Anton said: “Jeremy Clarkson said ‘That’s cost you £15,000!’ It was the most excited I’ve ever seen him. It was like he had just got out of a Bugatti Veyron or something.”

Anton also warned: “Never ask the audience. Remember . . .  most people push doors when it’s got ‘Pull’ written on them!”

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ORIGINAL Bake Off hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc are getting back together for a podcast – Mel & Sue Should Know by Now, on Audible.

It sees the duo discuss all the things they “should have” learned over the years . . . like following big shows to Channel 4, maybe?

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JASON ISAACS told Virgin Radio he expected White Lotus co- star Patrick Schwarzenegger to be “some horrible, spoiled young prince of Hollywood.”

But he said that while “Patrick knows exactly who his dad is” he was: “One of the most grounded, humble, lovely people.”

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BARBIE’s Margot Robbie is lined up to star as Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith in a film about her life.

The movie is being created by Anna’s close pals, fashion designer Pol’ Atteu and TV producer Patrik Simpson.

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Margot Robbie is lined up to star as Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith in a film about her life[/caption]

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Anna Nicole appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1992 and was named Playmate of the Year in 1993[/caption]

Rex

And Oscar-nominated Margot, 34, is the only name in the frame for the lead role.

Patrik said: “We are eyeing Margot and I think she is our Anna Nicole.”

“After we saw the Barbie movie, Margot was at the screening and I said, ‘That’s our Anna.’

“The way she embodied Barbie, and Pol used to always tease that Anna was the living Barbie. So who better to play her than Margot?”

Pol added: “I can tell you when we met her, we felt something electric and it was such a beautiful moment.”

The pair heard first-hand the stories of Anna’s turbulent life.

They have already written a script and are working with LA-based production company Island Illusion Entertainment on the project.

Speaking at the Charmaine Blake Academy Award celebration gala in Beverly Hills, Patrik said: “Anna was our best friend. Best friends have secrets and we promised Anna we would reveal those secrets.”

Anna Nicole appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1992 and was named Playmate of the Year in 1993.

At 26 she married 89-year-old oil baron J. Howard Marshall, insisting she was not with him for the money.

But after his death she became embroiled in a decades-long legal battle after learning she was not included in his will.

She was later forced to file for bankruptcy.

In 2006, her son died aged 20 of an accidental drugs overdose.

She also had an addiction to prescription painkillers and died of an accidental overdose in 2007, aged 39.

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