IT HAS this afternoon been announced that car dealership Westover Group has been acquired by Hendy Group.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, sees Hendy become a £1bn turnover company with 2,000 employees and operations from Exeter to Eastbourne.

It is understood no job cuts are planned.

The acquisition means Hendy Group now operates 26 franchises from 83 outlets. A new branch is due to open in Ferndown later this year.

Westover chairman Peter Wood said, “After more than 50 years in the motor industry I have decided that it is time to bow out.

"Westover has been my passion now for more than 40 years and to find a suitable company to hand it over to which has the same ethos of looking after its staff and customers has not been easy.

“We believe that in Hendy we have found that."