Anya Hindmarch

The green and black bag measures just seven inches high and five inches wide but despite its tiny size it comes with a hefty price tag of £5,775. The Judith Leiber brass bag has a gold chain strap and is topped with shimmering crystals and is branded with the words 'Exclusively Harrods hot and salty' on one side and 'best fries prize' on the other. But the latest incarnation by the fashion brand has failed to impress shoppers who have been left baffled by its price tag. One shopper at its London store told The Mirror: 'How can a handbag which looks like a box of chips cost almost £6,000?'

It's one of those great British unifiers: that sinking feeling at the supermarket checkout when you realise you've forgotten your reusable shopping bag. Short of making a quick dash home - rarely a realistic option - there's nothing for it but to fork out for yet another 'bag for life'. The trade in these bags, which range in price from 30p for a reusable plastic number to £25 for a designer tote, is now big business for Britain's grocery giants. And - as the Mail can reveal today - behind the boom is an unseemly tale of corporate greed and profiteering, disingenuously presented as a campaign to help save the planet.

Since learning DIY on Youtube, a couple who bought an 'unlivable' London flat has raised the price by turning it into their dream home. Rochelle Taylor-Butcher, 29, and her partner, Angus Ord, 30, a computer scientist, bought their one-bed apartment in Kingston, South London, in March 2023 for £260,000. The 1970s house was in 'disarray' when they first took it in, with mould on walls, a musty carpet, and peeling wallpaper. Despite being novices when they first started the project, the pair were able to build a complete kitchen, sand their own floorboards, and learned how to plumbing thanks to the skills they acquired from watching YouTube videos. Rochelle and Angus say they have already saved nearly £9,000 doing the work themselves, instead of employing tradespeople, and using free and recycled materials wherever possible