May 19 (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

ASTRA CHOOSES SWEDEN OVER BRITAIN FOR $285 MLN FACILITY

AstraZeneca Plc has shunned Britain by choosing Sweden as the location to break ground on a $285 million drug factory that will make a new generation of high-tech biological medicines.

IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES SAYS ARM HOLDINGS EXPLOITS MONOPOLY

Hossein Yassaie, the chief executive of Imagination Technologies, has accused ARM Holdings of exploiting its monopoly for chip designs that power the world's electronic devices.

The Guardian

TORIES VOW TO SLASH 'BURDENSOME' RED TAPE FOR BUSINESS

The new business secretary Sajid Javid is to pledge to cut red tape for companies by at least 10 billion pounds ($15.66 billion) during the current parliament as he announces details of the enterprise bill that will form part of this month's Queen's speech. (http://bit.ly/1cLYfRr)

ALEXIS TSIPRAS CLAIMS GREECE IS CLOSE TO SECURING DEAL WITH BRUSSELS AND THE IMF

The Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, has sought to prevent a full-blown run on the debt-stricken country's banks by promising that he is close to reaching a deal with creditors. (http://bit.ly/1cLYFav)

The Telegraph

DAN JARVIS BACKS ANDY BURNHAM'S LABOUR LEADERSHIP BID

Dan Jarvis has backed Andy Burnham in the Labour leadership race, in a move that will increase the likelihood of shadow health secretary becoming the party's next leader. (http://bit.ly/1cLXU1d)

STEPPING HILL: THE SCANDAL OF FOREIGN NURSES WITH BOGUS PAPERS

Thousands of foreign nurses could be working in Britain with bogus qualifications, the newspaper reported, after police warned that the medic who killed two patients at Stockport's Stepping Hill hospital used forged photocopies to secure his job. (http://bit.ly/1cLY6NV)

Sky News

EX-FSA CHIEF SANTS TO CHAIR BANKING PROBE

Sir Hector Sants has been asked by the British Bankers' Association to lead a review of the competitiveness of Britain's banking sector amid intensifying warnings about the impact of tax and regulatory reforms. (http://bit.ly/1cLubFv)

CHOCOLATE MAKER THORNTONS' CHIEF TO STEP DOWN

UK chocolate manufacturer Thorntons Plc has revealed that its chief executive Jonathan Hart is to step down from his role this summer. (http://bit.ly/1cM0Afl)

The Independent

FINANCIAL SECTOR BOSSES WARN OF DANGERS IN NEW REGULATIONS

The new system of global financial regulation could channel dangerous risk into the "shadow" banking system, a group of executives from the world's largest financial firms has warned. (http://ind.pn/1cLXp7n)

NEW BHS BOSS DARREN TOPP PLEDGES A 'RIGHTFUL' RETURN TO HIGH STREETS

Darren Topp, the new boss of BHS, has pledged to return the troubled 87-year-old retailer to its "rightful place" on the high street through a series of tie-ups with other retailers. (http://ind.pn/1cLXEPO) ($1 = 0.6387 pounds) (Compiled by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Wills)