Bingo bidder

VARDON, the leisure group, is planning to buy 12 bingo halls for about pounds 9m to add to its other operations, which include the London Dungeon, the York Dungeon, the Sea Life Centres and a seal sanctuary. Most of these rely on summer business, and Vardon believes the bingo halls will even out its annual earnings. It is launching a pounds 13.5m share offer and placing at 72p a share to finance the purchases. Its shares rose 1p on Friday to 79p.