Lyle & Scott is to merge with Clan Douglas, creating a combined knitwear manufacturing company with 300 staff under the name of Hawick Knitwear.... [more]

Eurotunnel has acquired Abbey National March Leasing, the aircraft leasing company, for £345m.... [more]

Graphite Capital is to support a £25m management buy-out at Tom Smith, the manufacturer of Christmas crackers.... [more]

EQ Group has acquired Quaestor Research & Marketing Strategists of Leeds for £2m.... [more]

Eleco is to acquire Consultec, the Swedish supplier of design andestimating software to the construction industry, for £3.8m.... [more]

Dixon Motors is to sell its Car Clinics business to BikeNet, the Aim- quoted cash shell, for an initial £3m.... [more]

Simon Group is to sell its tank storage business to private equity firm Patron Capital for £64m, in order to focus on ports and logistics.... [more]

Arriva is to sell seven Ford dealerships to Hartwell Automotive Group, including sites in Chippenham, Swindon, Halifax, Holmfirth, Huddersfield and two in Nottingham.... [more]

Ford Retail UK has bought 11 of the 12 Quartic Group dealerships out of receivership, saving more than 600 jobs.... [more]

Soya International has bought T Kearns, the Bradford-based soft drinks manufacturer with 20 staff, from the receivers of Lancashire Dairies for undisclosed terms.... [more]

Ward Evans Corporate of Leeds has undergone a management buy-out backed by Giles Insurance Brokers, and the two remaining businesses - One Direct Solutions and Ward Evans Financial - are also expected... [more]

Vertex Panel Products, the County Durham-based chipboard factory, is planning a management buy-out to secure the future of 180 jobs.... [more]

Associated British Foods has sold six flour mills to Archer Daniels Midland for an estimated £70m, including sites in Liverpool, Knottingley, Corby, Tewkesbury, Edinburgh and Castleford.... [more]

Udate, the Derby-based internet dating agency with 45 staff, has been acquired by USA Interactive for £96m.... [more]

HP Bulmer is to sell its Australian cider operations to Foster's Group for £22m, and has also announced plans to shed a further 200 mainly Hereford-based jobs.... [more]

Capita is planning to acquire Aurora, the company established to settle the outstanding business of Independent Insurance, for undisclosed terms.... [more]

Marylebone Warwick Balfour is to sell its leisure property fund management business to Capital & Regional Properties for £30m.... [more]

Numerica has acquired Munro-Greenhalgh, the Manchester-based independent financial adviser, for £1m.... [more]

Gresham Trust is backing the acquisition of Crosse & Blackwell's dried sauce and Snack Stop products by Brand Partnership of Leeds for undisclosed terms.... [more]

Compass is to sell its 220 Travelodge hotels and 368 Little Chef restaurants to private equity group Permira for £712m.... [more]