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You and Yours: Local butchers, Rogue builder, Prank phone calls

Local butchers, Rogue builder, Prank phone calls

08/02/2017

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, Local butchers, Rogue builder, Prank phone calls

Why the number of local butchers is increasing for the first time in decades.

We investigate a builder who left a family's home in such a state they can no longer live in it. Plus why the number of local butchers is increasing for the first time in decades.

A You & Yours investigation reveals how an unscrupulous builder made off with tens of thousands of pounds of his customers' money, leaving jobs incomplete. One family's home was left in such a poor state, they couldn't live in it. Trading standards officers are now looking into the case, in which the builder took payments up-front, started jobs, but then left them unfinished.

For decades, the number of local butcher's shops on our high streets has been declining. Forty years ago there were more than 25,000, but by 1995 that had dropped by more than half and numbers have continued to fall. Many have struggled with competition from the supermarkets, others closed when the owners retired. But then last year was there was small increase in the number of independent high street butchers in the UK. We examine the reasons for the revival and ask how small local shops can compete. 

The communications regulator Ofcom is investigating a mobile phone app which allows users to send pre-recorded ranting messages to their friends as a joke. Depending on the message chosen, the recipient is accused of theft, criminal damage or stalking. They are meant to be funny and the app's developers say that more than two hundred million of the messages have been sent. You & Yours has spoken to people who found them scary, aggressive and unpleasant.

Producer: Jonathan Hallewell
Presenter: Winifred Robinson.

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