Irish building materials supplier Grafton Group said yesterday it had bought four British builders' merchants for a total of £21.8 million sterling (#35.4 million), bringing the number of its UK outlets to more than 170.

It said the four businesses, which were acquired over the past few months, had a combined turnover in the region of £39.6 million sterling.

On June 1st, Grafton bought up almost 5 per cent of Irish DIY group Heiton Holdings held by Setanta Asset Management arm at a cost of #7.3 million. This took its stake in Heiton to almost 19 per cent.