Leisure group Whitbread is considering several unsolicited bids for its health club business David Lloyd, the company confirmed today.

Whitbread said in a statement about the approaches that “these are in the early stages of being evaluated to asses whether their further consideration would be in the interests of shareholders.”

It added that no decision to sell David Lloyd had been made.

However, under chief Executive Alan Parker the group has disposed of the majority of its pub/restaurant business, as well as exiting from its Marriott, Pizza Hut and TGI Friday’s businesses in the UK.

At the same time its coffee brand Costa and budget hotel chain Premier Travel Inn have gone from strength to strength.

A report in The Times newspaper linked Scott Lloyd, the son of leisure club founder David Lloyd who sold the chain to Whitbread in 1995, and London & Regional with a deal.

Other interested parties are thought to be Simon Halabi, who owns the Esporta fitness chain, property company Criterion Capital and Mid Ocean Partners, which owns LA Fitness.

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Whitbread completes Pizza Hut disposal

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By Chris Druce

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