TV licence fee to rise £1.50 a year

TV LICENCE fees will go up from £157.50 to £159 a year from April 1.

The fee is set by the government, which said it would rise in line with inflation for five years from April 2017.

The cost of an annual black and white TV licence will rise 50p to £53.50. More than 6,000 people still have one.

BBC director-general Tim Davie said: ‘The vast majority of households think it offers very good value. That’s what the BBC needs to focus on.’

ONLINE fashion giant Boohoo has bought Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton in a web-focused deal that has cost 2,450 staff their jobs.

Workers were informed of the redundancies yesterday after Boohoo paid £25.2million for inventory, e-commerce and digital assets – but not the 214 stores.

The deal completes the sale of Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group, which fell into administration last year.

Last week, Asos bought Arcadia’s other leading brands, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT, for £330million – again shedding 2,500 jobs as shops were not included.

Boohoo chief executive John Lyttle said: ‘Acquiring these wellknown brands in British fashion out of administration ensures their heritage is sustained, while our investment aims to transform them into brands that are fit for the current market environment.’

Around 260 Arcadia jobs will be saved, including roles in design, buying, merchandising and its digital wings. Other staff will stay on during a months-long transition.