Papers see financial woe hit home

Financial events in the United States were too late to make most of the UK front pages.

So the papers largely focus on the latest credit crunch effects in Britain.

The Daily Telegraph says Britain's biggest savings and mortgage bank, HBOS, was "under siege" with shares falling by up to 40% at one point.

The Guardian says the City's financial watchdog, the FSA, sought to shore up confidence in HBOS.

Customers reassured

The Times says the crisis engulfing the world's financial markets came closer to home.

HBOS, which owns the Halifax, moved to reassure its 15 million savers after its shares plunged, the paper explains.

The Daily Mail says HBOS suffered another catastrophic day on the stock market, before a partial recovery.

The Daily Mirror headlines its coverage simply "Hellifax". Britain's biggest mortgage lender suffered a fearsome battering, the paper suggests.

Cook-book

The Mirror draws together the banking crisis with the latest surge in inflation to a 16-year high.

The paper shows the price rises of everyday items over the past year.

To help cash-strapped families rustle up meals on a budget, Delia Smith is relaunching her 1970s Frugal Food recipe book, the paper notes.

The Daily Mail says at £17.99, really frugal families might be better off buying the original version which is still on sale for £8.99.

Leadership questions

"Coup's next?" asks the Sun after the resignation of Scotland Office Minister David Cairns over the performance of party leader Gordon Brown.

The Independent, too, suggests that the prime minister is threatened with more departures after Mr Cairns quit.

"Brown's toast" is the Daily Star take on the story, as it predicts that Mr Brown's leadership is in meltdown.

The Mirror has the headline "Wrath of Gord", saying Mr Brown verbally lashed out at Mr Cairns.