Brewery in bug probe.

Investigations into the cause of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak which has claimed the lives of two people and affected 10 others were today centred on a brewing company.

Initial investigations of a cooling tower at Bulmers cider maker in Hereford confirmed presence of the Legionella bug. Two of the 12 cases were confirmed last night, but Herefordshire NHS Primary Care Trust said all 10 current victims are stable in hospital.

Potato threat

BACTERIA which causes a serious potato disease has been found for the first time in the UK, it emerged today.

The bacterium c lavibacter michiganensis sepedonicus, which causes ring rot, has been confirmed in a sample of potatoes produced from Dutch seed potatoes at a farm in mid Wales.

Strike back

US forces struck back at Iraqi insurgents hours after a suicide bomber blew up a truck packed with explosives at an Italian paramilitary base, killing at least 26 people, 18 of them Italians, in Nasiriyah. US troops destroyed a warehouse in Baghdad and chased attackers firing mortars.

Drug change

CANNABIS will be designated as a Class C drug from January after the change was approved by the House of Lords. The move to reclassify the drug as Class C rather than Class B will put it in the same category as anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines and "date rape" drug GHB.

Festive cost

BRITONS are planning to spend an average of pounds 868 on Christmas this year, just pounds 6 more than they spent in 2002, research claimed today. People's spending on food, drink and decorations looks set to increase compared with the previous year, but at the same time they plan to spend less on presents, according to debit card Switch.

Scooter case

FOUR teenagers accused of stealing and handling a scooter used by the killers of Nottingham jeweller Marian Bates were today due in court. Two masked raiders, one of whom shot and killed the 64-year-old during a robbery used the blue Gilera Runner scooter to speed away from the scene.