Torex has acquired McKeown Software, the Letchworth-based supplier of financial and procurement systems to the NHS, for £12m... [more]

Lloyds TSB has acquired CashFriday, the Gloucester-based provider of funding and payroll services to the temporary recruitment sector, for £10m, in order to expand its Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance op... [more]

Whitehead Mann is to acquire Baines Gwinner, the financial and professional services executive search firm with offices in London and New York, for £10m... [more]

Biddle, the Nuneaton-based heating manufacturer, has been acquired by Carver of Walsall for £13m... [more]

Ferschl has acquired Cleveland Flexible Engineering, the Teesside-based manufacturer of stainless steel flexible hoses, and is now looking to increase capacity at its tubeform division and invest in n... [more]

Tribal has acquired APD Technical for up to £10m, and is planning to raise £21m in a share placing to fund further acquisitions for its professional support services business... [more]

Thomsons, the Manchester-based independent financial adviser, has been acquired by AWD of Germany for £31m... [more]

Highbury House Communications has acquired Millennium Magazines, the publisher of the Satellite TV Europe programme guide, for up to £ 1.5m... [more]

Scoot.com is in discussions with as many as 6 potential buyers or partners as the online directory service continues to shore up its finances. Scoot was worth up to £1.9bn in March but is now worth j... [more]

Time2Learn is to acquire Intellexis International for £2.2m, in order to expand its financial and personal development e-learning business... [more]

Ebenezer Baylis, the Worcester-based catalogue and book printer, has been acquired by John Goodman & Sons of Birmingham, creating a combined group with 150 staff and turnover of £12m... [more]

WPP has acquired Penn Schoen & Berland, the US strategic research and polling consultancy with 81 staff... [more]

Podia is to acquire Event Vision Companies, the London-based organiser of corporate entertainment, for an initial £2m... [more]

BAE Systems is believed to be back in talks to sell Heckler & Koch, the small arms manufacturer that specialises in large-calibre pistols and assault rifles. Colt, the American gunmaker, is the most l... [more]

Abbey National has decided not to sell its point-of-sale finance business after approaches from possible bidders fell short of its asking price. It is believed that Abbey wanted £200m for the operatio... [more]

KPN, the troubled Dutch telecommunications group, will focus on its core mobile and fixed line networks and is considering further disposals as part of an asset-stripping strategy to reduce $2.6n by t... [more]

Charles Stanley has acquired Torrie & Co, the Edinburgh-based stockbroker, for up to £7.8m... [more]

Scottish Radio Holdings has agreed to acquire the remaining 76% of Radio Ireland, the owner of the Today FM radio station, for £36m... [more]

Incepta has acquired Hauck Research Services, the marketing consultancy with 90 staff, for an initial £4m... [more]

Investec has acquired European Capital, the London-based project finance company, in order to expand its infrastructure financing capabilities beyond its South African base... [more]