Spirit's 1,832-strong estate will elevate Punch, until now the country's No 2 pubs group with 8,200 tenanted outlets, ahead of the industry leader Enterprise Inns with 8,750 pubs.

Heineken has offered to sell a number of pubs in 33 areas across the UK “to preserve competition and ensure customers in these locations do not lose out” as part of its Punch deal. Earlier this month ...