Ladbrokes punt

HILTON Group confirmed today it had received expressions of interest from firms considering a £3bn punt on betting shop chain Ladbrokes.

Despite the overtures Hilton said it remained focused on seeing through a deal for US-based Hilton Hotels Corporation to buy the UK company's hotels.

The comments from Hilton came after a report in today's Financial Times said several private equity firms were circling Ladbrokes, which could be worth between £3bn and £4bn.

Easyjet expands

BUDGET airline easyJet said it was spending another £505m on 20 new planes.

The Airbus A319s will come into service in 2008 and 2009, ensuring the company's continued growth to the end of the decade, the firm said.

Today's move is part of an option agreement from a previous deal to buy 120 of the planes from Airbus in 2003. Under the terms of that deal the airline had the right to buy up to 120 more aircraft at the same basic price, subject to inflation.

Low paid boost

MORE than 12,000 low paid workers will celebrate Christmas with a pay boost after HM Revenue & Customs investigations into cases where the national minimum wage was not being paid.

In seven months customs investigated 2,409 cases, recovering more than £1.7m underpayment from companies, benefiting more than 12,100 workers - including 659 workers in the West Midlands set to recoup more than £71,000.