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The Butter Council is to wind up by the end of the year, citing the withdrawal of funding by UK milk producers. The Council, which was first set up in 1954, took the decision to fold after the UK’s Milk Development Council withdrew its support.

Parcelforce has appointed Peter Wigglesworth as general manager marketing (UK). The post has been covered by head of communications John Payne for 12 months, following a restructure last year. Wigglesworth was director of strategic marketing at Streamline, where he has not yet been replaced. Duncan Hine, formerly director and general manager of Streamline, is to become director of technology for the Post Office group, a new position.

Escom, the German computer company, is launching the UK’s first home virtual reality kits, this week. Escom, which bought the Rumbelows chain in March and rebranded 164 shops with its name, will sell electronic VR glasses today (Wednesday). The electronic glasses, which are made by US firm Virtual i-O, include inbuilt headphones. They are already sold in the US and work on PCs and Apple Macintosh machines, plus a range of games machines including Sega and Nintendo. Escom is also expected to announce its relaunch of the Amiga home computer, and the opening of more UK shops.

Virgin Our Price, WH Smith’s entertainment and music chain, has lost marketing director John Laidlaw, who moves to head marketing and buying for newspaper wholesale arm WH Smith News.

Mike Ovitz, head of Creative Artists Agency, is to be president of Walt Disney, the number two position. He will be in charge of Capital Cities/ABC, the TV network recently acquired by Disney in a $19bn deal.

First Direct has appointed J Walter Thompson group account director Michael Phillipson to be its ad manager. He worked on the Barclays Bank account.

Carlsberg-Tetley is seeking a senior brand manager for the Tetley bitter brand following the departure of David Bugg, who joins Black & Decker as a product manager.

Bart Della Mura, sales director of Hero Drinks Group, has been appointed as marketing director.

Bradford & Bingley is launching a bonus scheme which will reward loyal and high-value customers.

Britannia Building Society has appointed Julie Grant marketing services controller. She joins from Pizza Hut UK, where she was marketing manager.