UK supermarket chain Morrisons fires CEO after weak X'mas sales

London

BRITAIN'S crisis-hit supermarket sector claimed its first scalp of the year on Tuesday, as Wm Morrison ousted chief executive Dalton Philips following another plunge in Christmas sales at the country's fourth-largest grocer.

Morrisons said it would almost certainly look outside the company for a leader to return it to growth after it lagged larger rivals Tesco, Walmart's Asda and Sainsbury's under Mr Philips' five-year watch.

Its shares jumped as much as 6.9 per cent on hopes a new boss could reverse its fortunes. But analysts said there was a mountain to climb as all of Britain's "big four" grocers grapple with falling food price…