Wilts & Dorset Sold

One of England & Wales’ last independently owned former National Bus Company subsidiaries has unexpectedly sold to a major group.

Wilts & Dorset, the Poole, Bournemouth, Lymington and Salisbury operator, has sold to the north east based Go Ahead group, for £31.6mil. Its remaining directors, who headed a management buyout in 1987, will retire.

With W&D, Go Ahead now has six companies in the south – Brighton & Hove, the Oxford Bus Company, London General, London Central and Metrobus.

W&D posted a pre-tax profit to April 2002 of £4mil on a £26mil turnover. Its net assets are valued at £19mil.