LEISURE company De Vere came under fresh pressure to sell its UK hotels - including Slaley Hall, in Northumberland - last night when a major investor raised its bid for a larger stake in the group.

GPG Holdings, which already owns ten per cent of shares, urged investors to accept its new offer of 430p a share for a further 25 per cent of the company.

The decision to raise its offer came after only 0.13 per cent of investors in De Vere agreed to sell their stake to GPG after 50 days.