May 1 (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 founder of Shire Plc, Harry Stratford, has come out in support of a proposed takeover by Japanese rival, saying that a 46 billion pound proposal from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co represented a "fair price". http://bit.ly/2raZSBu

A jury in San Francisco convicted former CFO of Autonomy Sushovan Hussain of using accounting tricks to flatter the company's finances before it was bought by Hewlett-Packard . http://bit.ly/2rcqJgf

The Guardian

WPP is to sell stakes worth billions of pounds that it holds in a wide range of companies, as the world's largest advertising group looks to refocus after the departure of founder Sir Martin Sorrell. http://bit.ly/2raU3nv

A 400-million-pound ($550.64-million) government plan to build electric car charging points looks likely to be significantly delayed, in a blow to car manufacturers and efforts to tackle air pollution in UK cities. http://bit.ly/2rbjmWu

The Telegraph

The former BT finance chief who failed to uncover massive fraud in the company's Italian unit will be stripped of bonuses worth more than half a million pounds. http://bit.ly/2rbYRZR

Collapsed retailer Conviviality rejected an 11th-hour rescue deal from Aim-listed activist investor Crystal Amber that would have secured the final 18 million pounds needed to save the Bargain Booze owner, an investor has revealed. http://bit.ly/2rdC2VB

Sky News

TSB Bank Plc, which is still getting to grips with gremlins in its systems as a result of IT work just over a week ago, warned customers that fraudsters were trying to trick them into handing over PIN numbers and passwords. http://bit.ly/2rbZ2En

The former boss of the AA concealed his involvement in a street brawl with a member of the public to prevent the loss of lucrative bonuses, according to a legal document filed by the breakdown recovery service. http://bit.ly/2rbpluy

The Independent

AccorHotels is paying 560 million Swiss francs ($565.26 million) in cash to acquire Moevenpick Hotels & Resorts, in a move which strengthens the buyer's upmarket portfolio. https://ind.pn/2rcF8co

($1 = 0.7264 pounds) ($1 = 0.9907 Swiss francs) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler)