BOSSES at Dial Group have met with executives of Lease Plan to discuss their future together. The deal provoked an 'excited' response from Dial staff following announcement of the sale last week.

Dial Group's owner, Barclays Bank, which is waiting for EC approval before the sale is completed, was not able to commit the investment for geographical expansion and new technology, but the bank says its 5,500-vehicle fleet will continue to be managed and be supplied with accident management services by Dial.

Mike Betts, Dial's managing director, said: 'If the business was to go forward, there would have been a need for a much larger scale of investment in the company. It is great news and will bring badly-needed investment and expand the geographical reach of Dial. Secondly, it will give us access to funding for new systems and provide a huge leap in the technology we can use.'