Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

The UK's largest hotel and restaurant group, Luton-based Whitbread plc, is to invest the equivalent of £100m on the expansion of its Premier Inn brand with six new London hotels and 1,200 rooms to be opened over the next three years.

Local hospitality giant, Whitbread is rumoured to be in talks with the owners of its main rival in the budget hotel arena, Travelodge over a merger which could see the creation of a £3bn force in the industry.

When soccer stars kicked off The African Cup Of Nations this week, they were doing it with a little help from Ely-based sports' equipment supplier Stadia Sports.