CENTRICA said yesterday they may; Business IN BRIEF.

CENTRICA said yesterday they may use Belgium's second largest energy firm as a makeweight in their attempt to land a stake in British Energy.

The British Gas owners hold 51 per cent of SPE but admitted they may sell the interest to France's EDF, who acquired British Energy last year and who have been in talks with Centrica over a minority stake.

Last summer, the two firms reached a non-binding agreement that Centrica would buy the holding for pounds 3.1billion, placing the same value on British Energy as was paid by EDF for the whole company earlier in the year.

Reports earlier this month said the talks with EDF were in deadlock..