News in brief

CCV acquires four more

CCV has acquired four more brokers, adding more than £10m of GWP and increasing its total number of 2010 deals to nine. It has acquired Moscrop Robinson & Chadwick, a £5m GWP broker in Bury; the portfolio of Border Counties Insurance Services from Farmers Mutual, a business in the North East controlling £3m of premium; Dunstable Insurance Bureau in Bedfordshire, controlling over £1m GWP; and broker JR, which will become part of Protectagroup.

Besso profits fall 73%

Lloyd’s broker Besso Holdings chief executive Colin Bird described 2009 as a “disappointing year” for the company, after profits fell 73% to £539,224 from £2m in 2008. Besso attributed the sharp decline mainly to a reduction in interest income due to the fall in interest rates. The company was also hit by a loss of revenue from US bank Wachovia, a key client for Besso, as a result of the bank being sold to Wells Fargo. The effects of this loss were masked by the strengthening dollar against the pound, the company said. See more online at insurancetimes.co.uk.

Linney leaves Columbus

Graham Linney, managing director of Columbus Direct, the direct travel intermediary of Collinson Insurance Group, has resigned. Linney has left Columbus to become managing director of the direct business at insurer One Underwriting. Columbus has not made a decision on whether to replace him. Collinson Insurance Group parent Collinson Group’s chairman Colin Evans is still considering options for the business, according to a spokesman.