Greene King’s purchase of Essex brewer and pub company TD Ridley & Sons in July has been given the go-ahead by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Greene King said in a statement today that integration of Ridley’s estate, which was bought in July for £45.6m, was going well.

However, the deal has not been without controversy, with consumer group the Campaign for Real Ale attacking Greene King’s plan to close Ridley’s 160-year-old brewery in Essex.

The text of the OFT's decision will be placed on the its website at www.oft.gov.uk