IN BRIEF

Van and truck hire firm Northgate has sacked finance chief Paddy Gallagher after he was convicted of assault.

The number of working mums in England has risen by 1.2 million since 1996, said the Office for National Statistics.

Some 4.9m mums – 73.7% of all those with kids – now either work full or part-time.

Flexible working practices and shared parental leave are among reasons for the rise, said the ONS.

Breakdown firm the AA has reported a 35% jump in half-year profits, with member numbers up by 13%. Simon Breakwell has been confirmed as the new chief executive after his predecessor’s dismissal for “gross misconduct”.