The BBC’s commercial arm is courting a private equity tie-up to make a bid for Virgin Media Television, the owner of digital channels such as UKTV Drama, UKTV Gold and Bravo.

Shackleton Ventures, the portfolio secondaries investor set up by former Strathdon Investments executives, has made its third bulk acquisition of 3i portfolio companies inside a year.

Buyout firm Primary Capital has acquired Bedford-based toiletry maker Pacific Direct in a £20m (€25m) deal.

Doughty Hanson portfolio company Alosa is to acquire Aragonese bus operator Alosa for an undisclosed sum.

Aurora Russia, an AIM-listed investment group focused on small and mid-sized Russian businesses, has acquired Volzhski Universalny Bank, a small retail bank based in Samara, Russia.

The Blackstone Group has appointed Kemal Kaya as a senior adviser in the firm's Turkish office.

Public market investor Adamant Biomedical Investments has set up a venture capital business, to be called Adamant Ventures.

Piper Private Equity has taken a “large minority stake” in husband-and-wife business the Rug Company for an undisclosed sum.

Risk Capital Partners has entered the market for “passive safety structures” with the purchase of SignPost Solutions by its portfolio company APT Controls Group.

Zeus Private Equity's Hallmark Hotel Group has acquired four new premises for £25m  (€31m).