Complaints about financial products soared by around 70% in the spring compared with a year earlier, the Financial Ombudsman Service has said.
Some 74,645 cases were raised with the service between 1 April and 30 June – up from 43,953 over the same period in 2023.
Around half the complaints now come from professional representatives, who tend to take commission from any payout, the ombudsman said.
“Whilst professional representatives have an important role to play, they must ensure that their cases are well evidenced and have merit,” Abby Thomas, chief executive and chief ombudsman, said.
The opening of Jeremy Clarkson’s pub in Oxfordshire has sparked a rise in searches for homes near by, according to Rightmove.
The TV presenter’s pub in Asthall, near Burford, reopened to the public on 23 August.
The number of searches for properties in Burford the following day was the highest in more than a year, and 63% higher than a year ago across the bank holiday weekend, Rightmove said.
The average asking price in the area is £537,827.
Unilever says it is trialling the use of plants and flowers that “don’t make the grade” to create fragrances for its products.
The consumer goods giant is collaborating with scientists at the University of Nottingham to get the pilot under way, with oils already being extracted from flowers such as petunias, roses and marigolds.
Unilever head of biotechnology Neil Parry said unwanted plants “still have valuable materials with functional benefits”.
The move is aimed at being cost and energy effective, as well as a way to reduce waste.
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