NEW iPAD PULLS IN THE CROWDS

Fans of Apple’s new iPad, a cross between a laptop and a touch-screen mobile phone, queued outside Western Computers in Beechwood Shopping Centre in Cheltenham to get their hands on the latest device.

Western Computers is the only shop in Gloucestershire where the iPad is available at the moment and manager Paul Mills said: “We had people queueing for a couple of hours before we opened.

“It’s a fantastic thing – the most amazing bit of kit Apple has ever done. It’s just really clever.”

The iPad has 10 hours of battery life and includes a A4 microchip to improve performance. It’s available with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage with prices at £429, 499 and £599.

The new computor was launched in the US earier this year, to great acclaim from analysts.