AN EAST Lancashire company has taken over an Essex firm in a £1.2m deal.

Daisy Communications, based on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate, Nelson, has completed the deal for communications company Abycom Ltd.

And the takeover will see 300 customers transfer to the Daisy, a fixed line communications provider, with the first bills issued next week.

Daisy finance director Matt Peters said the deal was further evidence of the company's intention to strengthen itself through acquisitions.

He said: "Customers will continue to enjoy the same high standard of care and provision they received from Abycom.

"However as Daisy specialises in providing communications to the small-medium sized enterprises, they will now be able to take advantage of an improved service offering including broadband, data and mobile solutions "As with previous acquisitions that Daisy has undertaken, we have been able to swiftly take over customer care and billing, with the integration successfully completed within a matter of weeks."

Abycom managing director Mark Blackaby has paid tribute to the Daisy team that made the acquisition possible.

He said: "I have worked closely with some key people at Daisy over the last couple of years and the manner in which they have dealt with the company has been admirable and professional.

"On an individual basis I have worked closely with Daisy's director of channel partners Mark Hickey, and he has played an instrumental role in Abycom's success over the last two years and in the recent acquisition."

Last month, Daisy chief executive Matthew Riley, 33, was named young entrepreneur of the year for the North West.

He had left school at 16 but was a millionaire by the time he was 30.

He founded Daisy in 2001 to sell telephone, internet and other communications packages to businesses.

Now it has more than 20,000 customers, employs around 120 staff and is expected to have a turnover of £36m.