Crane hire company Hewden Stuart has paid £16m cash ($25m) for Instant Access Centres Ltd which rents out powered access platforms.

The vendors, owner/directors Frank Huish and Tony Jennings, remain with their recently demerged sales company which has been renamed Upright UK. Previously the sales and rental businesses were known as Instant Zip Up.

Hewden Stuart said that the acquisition complemented its existing access division which concentrates on hiring larger equipment through its nine depots across the UK. Instant Access has eight of its own depots.