BLACKBURN chocolates and confectionery group Glisten today announced it has bought rival firm Fravigar for £6.5million.

Bosses at the company, which is the UK's biggest manufacturer of sugared almonds, say the purchase will help drive up profits at the firm and corner a large chunk of the sweets market.

Glisten plc manufactures own-brand sweets and chocolates for most of Britain's supermarket chains and was the fastest-growing of all the East Lancashire companies quoted on the Stock Exchange.

It makes chocolate and sugar-based confectionery, edible cake decorations and confectionery ingredients. The firm's products include chocolate-coated raisins, peanuts and brazil nuts as well as mints, popcorn and sugar-coated almonds.

Fravigar Ltd, founded in 1924 by the grandfather of the current managing director, manufactures a wide range of confectionery including fruit and wine flavoured gums.

Fravigar also produces a range of traditional boiled sweets, toffees and fudge for the major chains and specialist retailers from its base in Skegness, Lincolnshire.

But the purchase of the company is not expected to bring new jobs to Blackburn.

The firm, which employs around 100 people at Skegness, will continue to be run as a subsidiary with the current bosses reporting to the heads of Glisten.