Francis Clark of Exeter is to merge with Whites of Taunton, creating a combined accountancy group with 26 partners and more than 230 staff.... [more]

TD Bingham and Nickson Davis have merged to create a combined Liverpool-based civil and structural engineering group with 40 staff.... [more]

Laird Group has expanded its security systems business with the acquisition of Balance UK for £3.5m and US-based Bandlock Corporation for £10m.... [more]

CareTech has acquired two residential care homes in London for £2.7m, taking its chain to 61.... [more]

Aggregate Industries has acquired Sitebatch and Roller Compacted Concrete, two Lincolnshire-based companies with 20 staff, for undisclosed terms, in order to expand its Bardon Contracting division.... [more]

United Utilities is to acquire 1st Software Group, the financial planning software company, for an initial £25m, in order to expand its Vertex Financial Services division.... [more]

Healthcare Locums is to acquire Medical Professionals and Social Work Professionals from European Recruitment Network Group for up to £1.2m, in order to expand its healthcare recruitment business.... [more]

Langdowns DFK is to merge with CW Fellowes to create a combined Hampshire-based accountancy group with 100 staff called Langdowns Fellowes DFK.... [more]

Marks & Spencer is to acquire 28 stores on a leasehold basis from Iceland Foods for £38m, in order to expand its Simply Food format.... [more]

Lucketts Travel is to acquire Worthing Coaches, creating a combined coach travel business with 44 coaches and annual turnover of £6.8m.... [more]

Digital Classics is to acquire Box TV for £6m and NBD Holdings for £1.5m, in order to expand its TV production business.... [more]

Lightly & Lightly is to merge with Hawley & Partners to create LHL Group, a combined Yorkshire-based building surveying and architectural practice with 40 staff.... [more]

Tate & Lyle is to acquire Continental Custom Ingredients of the US for £40m and Celaspinia Foods of Italy for £34m, in order to expand its food ingredients business.... [more]

Intertek has acquired Lintec Testing Services for £3m and Lubricant Quality Scan for £0.4m, in order to expand its marine fuel and lubricant testing business.... [more]

Aspen Clean Fuels is to merge with Shield Capital in a £14m deal, creating a new group called Aspen Clean Energy.... [more]

Cavendish Grant is to merge with Chartwell to create a combined Bath-based financial services group with 60 staff.... [more]

Captain Birdseye and Findus are being eyed by Blackstone, one of the world's largest private-equity houses. Blackstone is aiming to build a £2bn frozen-food empire, and it has lodged its interest in b... [more]

Dassett Process Engineering is to merge with BottleTech Solutions, the Cheltenham-based manufacturer of bagging and automation equipment.... [more]

BT has acquired CARA Group, the network services company with 134 staff in Ireland and Northern Ireland, in order to expand its BT Ireland subsidiary.... [more]

Pentagon has acquired two Vauxhall car dealerships in Sheffield, increasing its total number of outlets to 13.... [more]