July 3 (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 scientific instruments maker Spectris ( SEPJF ) has

agreed to a takeover offer from U.S. investment firm KKR

valuing it at 4.7 billion pounds($6.42 billion) including debt,

and has withdrawn its support for a rival offer from Advent.

- A fire at a London electricity substation that led to the

shutdown of Heathrow airport was caused by a preventable fault

detected by engineers seven years earlier, a report has

concluded.

The Guardian

- The UK competition watchdog has written to Ticketmaster

threatening legal action over the way it sold more than 900,000

tickets for Oasis' reunion tour, days before the start of what

is expected to be the most popular, and profitable, run of gigs

in British history.

- Britain's Financial Conduct Authority is to extend rules

covering non-financial misconduct such as bullying and

discrimination beyond the banking industry in a bid to clamp

down on bad behaviour, it said on Wednesday.

The Telegraph

- Four people have been charged in connection with a

pro-Palestinian protest in which military planes were sprayed

with paint at an air base in England.

Sky News

- A group backed by alternative asset manager Apollo Global

Management ( APO ) is closing in on a near 6-billion-pound

takeover of Pension Insurance Corporation.

($1 = 0.7327 pounds)

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)