A clothing company was sold to dry cleaning specialists Johnson Service Group yesterday for £22.5m.

Dewhirst, based in Yorkshire, sold its County Durham division, Dewhirst Corporate Clothing, in Peterlee, to Johnson.

The move is the latest in a series of deals by Johnson in the corporatewear market during the past two years.

Johnson's workwear businesses produce about 60 per cent of the group's profits and supply companies including Corus, Sainsbury and Cadbury.

Turnover at Dewhirst Corporate Clothing last year was £21.8m.

The sale will allow the Dewhirst Group, based in Driffield, to focus on its main business as clothing supplier to Marks & Spencer.

The announcement comes a year after the Dewhirst family sold their controlling stake in the business.

Scott Beattie, financial director of Dewhirst, said: "The sale of the corporatewear business will enable the group to concentrate on its main clothing business of supplying garments to the retail sector."

Dewhirst has been hit by a slowdown in the textile industry in the past few years due to cheaper competition from overseas.