Aug 14 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the

business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified

these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

- British retail tycoon Mike Ashley's Frasers ( SDIPF ) bought Harvey

Nichols out of administration, with the pre-pack deal covering

about 1,000 jobs, the retailer's six UK stores as well as the

online and international franchise operations.

The Guardian

UK defence company BAE Systems is to pay £26.7 million

($36.02 million) in a settlement with the US Department of State

after breaching US arms exports regulations more than 100 times.

The Telegraph

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham accused water companies of

treating customers like "a blank cheque" after over a dozen

firms announced higher bills for millions of households under

hosepipe bans.

Sky News

British Transport Police said the derailment of a passenger

train near Lewes railway station in South East England left two

people seriously injured and 18 others with less serious

injuries who were taken to the hospital, with no fatalities

reported.

The Independent

A major grass fire broke out in Stourbridge, central

England, affecting six properties and leaving two people

suffering from the effects of heat and smoke, with the West

Midlands Fire Service saying the fire was affecting a number of

locations around Ounty John Lane, Racecourse Lane and

Stourbridge Road.

($1 = 0.7412 pounds)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)