Although Rafferty said he had not spoken to anyone at Adare, he said: "We always keep all of our options open."

Any possible deal should make it through a review by the Competition authorities, as the combined market share for both Kall

Kwik and Prontaprint is understood to amount to around 13%.
In an open letter, Independent Kall Kwik Franchise Owners Association (IKKFOA) chairman Andrew Michael said IKKFOA would welcome discussions with any potential buyer.

Adare's majority shareholder Allen, McGuire & Partners appointed financial adviser Lazard in July to "review the strategic options available" to the group.

An Adare Group spokeswoman said that at present "everything was progressing". But she said she was not aware of any proposed bids.

Story by Andy Scott