Viglen prepares to sell out

WORD REACHES the INQ that Alan Sugar is preparing to flog off his Viglen computer business to Staffordshire-based Stone Group.

Stone is the acquisitive type having previously swallowed up Rock and, earlier, Dan and now looks to be consolidating its presence in the educational market where Viglen has a particularly strong presence.

There has been much to-ing and fro-ing of suits between the headquarters of both companies but neither has gone on the record despite numerous calls to both companies. We did get one "no comment,"  which is about as close to a confimation as you can get.

Our sources are pretty adamant that a deal is imminent and who are we to disbelieve them?

Sugar is likely to be happy to disentangle himself from Viglen, his last foothold in a computer company, in order to concentrate on his career as a TV stuntman, and all-round cuddly cockney barrow boy made good.

It is unclear how many Viglen employees at the firm's Hertfordshire HQ can look forward to getting "You're Fired" emails in their in-boxes as a result of the deal. µ