In brief

Two black hotel waitresses in Derby have won their appeal against an industrial tribunal decision that their employer had not racially discriminated against them when hotel management failed to prevent their exposure to racist abuse by comedian Bernard Manning.

The industrial tribunal ruled last November that the Pennine Hotel was not responsible for the abuse suffered by the waitresses at a private function where Mr Manning was performing. But the appeal ruled that managers should have protected them.

Property company Burford Holdings has exchanged contracts on its fourth building with potential for hotel use.

The 37,000sq ft premises in St Martin's Place, London, overlooks Trafalgar Square and could be converted to a 100-bedroom hotel.

A Midlands pub has been fined £14,000 after environmental health officers found mouldy sausages and rotten steaks in the kitchen. The Magic Pub Company pleaded guilty before magistrates in Rugby to selling food unfit for human consumption at the Blue Pig in Wolvey, Warwickshire.

The court heard that managers had failed to carry out improvements agreed after decomposing steaks had been found during a previous inspection.

The Rank Organisation has agreed terms to buy the Tom Cobleigh pub chain for £95.6m. The Mansfield-based pub group has 44 branded managed houses and 17 tenancies.