Connaught extends reach across UK after acquisition of two Welsh heating firms for £1.6m.

Property support services group Connaught has acquired two Caerphilly-based heating maintenance companies for £1.6m.

Gas Care supplies gas, heating and maintenance services to the social housing sector in Wales, while BST provides skills training for gas, heating and electrical engineers.

Gas Care provides services to more than 20 registered social landlords in Wales, including Anglesey, Ceredigion, Conway, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Newport, Gwynedd and Powys.

BST has the largest facility in Wales and trains over 500 people per year. Connaught said that the acquisistion of BST would ensure a continued supply of qualified personnel for the company.

The aquisitions come just a week after Connaught acquired Scottish maintenance services business Maginnis for £2.5m

Mark Tincknell, Connaught chief executive, said: "These acquisitions will provide Connaught with a strong platform in Wales to support the delivery of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard for which expenditure is expected to be around £3 billion over the next seven years."

"Combined with our recent acquisition in Scotland of Maginnis Ltd, the Group now has operational capability across the whole of mainland UK."