BUSINESS support group Hays has bought for £31.2 million a recruitment agency from computer services company Skillsgroup -- formerly P&P Computers.

QA Myriad employs 70 in the UK from its four offices in London, Reading, Bristol and Knutsford in Cheshire.

Skillsgroup operates the Acuma IT business in Haslingden.

Myriad provides contract IT recruitment services to finance, IT and telecoms companies.

David Southworth, chairman of Skillsgroup, also gave an update of trading at the group.

He said despite slow external trading conditions, the group remained on track to meet overall profit expectations for the year.