April 30 (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

- The government was hours from its first failed debt auction in 11 years last month and would have struggled to pay for its lockdown rescue package had the Bank of England not come to its aid, the head of its financing division has revealed. https://bit.ly/3f4FYQI

- Bondholders of debt secured against shopping centres owned by Intu Properties are drawing up plans that could lead to them taking control of the assets. https://bit.ly/2z02rO7

The Guardian

- UK car production plunged by more than a third in March to its lowest since 2009 as the coronavirus pandemic forced factories to close in an unprecedented crisis for the industry. https://bit.ly/3aNETcD

- Odeon Cinemas has banned screenings of all films from the Universal Pictures after the studio said it would break with tradition and skip releasing some films in cinemas, instead making them directly available on streaming and on-demand services. https://bit.ly/3aJRm0Y

The Telegraph

- Boris Johnson will on Thursday warn the nation not to expect major changes to the lockdown after it emerged Britain has one of the world's worst coronavirus death rates. https://bit.ly/35lFRf1

- The bosses of Next Plc and Dixons Carphone have called for answers over the taxpayer-funded furlough scheme as fears grow over a huge wave of redundancies when support is withdrawn. https://bit.ly/2KHzMjL

Sky News

- The boss of JD Wetherspoon is targeting a re-opening of his pubs in late June after bars were closed at the start of the coronavirus lockdown. https://bit.ly/3aNWyB8

- John Laing Group, one of the best-known names in British infrastructure investing, has picked a former 3i executive to be its next boss. https://bit.ly/3aVpRlm

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)