A DORSET businessman is reported to be at the heart of a multi-million-pound bid to take over failed electrical chain Comet.

It is thought that the tycoon is in advanced talks with administrators Deloitte to take on 140 of its 195 stores, saving more than 2,000 jobs.

The man, thought to be Mudeford-based and working with three business partners, is also in the running to take over the online business, it is believed.

But he is facing a rival bid from Appliances Online for Comet's online business.

John Roberts, who set up Appliances Online in 2000, confirmed he had put in a “seven-figure offer” for Comet's website after it collapsed into administration earlier this month.

He said his Bolton-based business would hope to run the Comet brand online, but said a deal would depend on whether he could rescue the brand before too much damage was done through the administration process.

Deloitte said it had been in discussions with a number of interested parties over different parts of the Comet business.

Some 1,500 posts at the collapsed electricals chain have already been axed, including 603 home delivery network jobs on Monday.

A further 57 head office posts in Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, 56 employees from a call centre in Clevedon, and 17 from an office in Hull also went this week.

The sites were already the subject of 330 redundancies last week.

Deloitte has also closed 27 of the 41 shops it announced it would shut by the end of the month.