Infozone Breaking World News

Walkers Crisps new weather prediction game on promotional packs could cost the company up to a million pounds as it’s too easy to win. Betting analysts and bookmakers have said that the game, where people predict where in the UK it’s going to rain is too easy with an 8 to 1 chance of winning.

Walkers has already paid out an estimated £660,000 since the promotion began last month and there is still time left to enter with two weeks left to run. Players pick one of 21,000 squares on a map of Britain and choose a time slot, if it rains on their square during the time they have specified they win £10. The results are verified by the Met Office and winners notified.

Costumes worn by actors and actresses on ITV’s The Bill have been bought by Metropolitan police to stop criminals posing as police personnel. A police spokesman confirmed that they had bought 400kg of used and unused clothing from the TV show after it was axed earlier this year.

The spokesman said, “When the announcement was made that The Bill was to cease production, the Metropolitan police service approached the production company with a view to acquiring all used and unused items of clothing and uniform. Used items have already been sent for secure recycling. Unused items will be put into stock for issue to officers”.

The Bill’s directors prided themselves on realism and had permission from Scotland Yard to use real uniforms and stab proof vests on their sets. Over 2400 episodes of The Bill were aired during its 26 year run, with the final episode being watched by nearly 4.4 million viewers.

Couples wishing to get married in Hong Kong can now exchange their vows in their local McDonald’s fast food restaurants. Coined by staff as the ‘McWedding’, these ceremonies include a meal of burgers and a wedding cake made from apple pies.

There are a few drawbacks of the McWedding, the restaurant will remain open to the public during the ceremony and there is no alcohol allowed. The weddings will be available in McDonald’s chains in Hong Kong from January and will cost around £250.

Director of communications for Hong Kong McDonald’s, Helen Cheung said, “Over the past two years we’ve started receiving calls from people who want to have a wedding party in our restaurants,” adding that: “People said they’d dated or met there and wanted to get married there. We see this as a business opportunity”.

Entertainment giant HMV has stated that the football World Cup added to a 10.6% drop in quarterly sales throughout the UK, adding that first financial quarter trading had been ‘difficult’. The announcement saw its share prices plummet by 10% to 60p each during the London trading session.

The firm also outlined its future strategy on the increasing growth of tickets for live events, a stronger product line including games and blu-ray’s and will be seeking a revival of sales for its subsidiary Waterstones book store to provide a successful Christmas period.

HMV’s chief executive Simon Fox said, “We continue to make good progress on all three parts of our strategy,” adding that; “the initiatives to strengthen our specialist positioning, localise our store offer and revitalise our market leading brand have had a positive impact on trading”.

The company also announced that its finance director, Neil Bright would be leaving the company before Christmas to join Holidaybreak.