Wyevale Garden Centres have been put up for sale by Terra Firma Capital Partners.

The garden centres include 144 restaurants and cafes and 700 concessions with 240 partners.

Gloucestershire has centres at Brockworth, Haresfield, Cheltenham and Nailsworth. The sale is being handled by Christie and Co.

In a statement Wyevale Garden Centres said: "The sale comes at an advanced stage of a turnaround programme for WGC, which has seen significant investment in the core business. Customers and colleagues have responded positively to these improvements with the business now achieving sales and profit growth.

"The business has enjoyed exceptionally strong sales in recent weeks, with a record breaking Mayday bank holiday weekend, the highest one-week' sales ever and May on track to be the most profitable month in the company's history."

WGC is the UK's biggest garden centre chain, with 145 garden centres, ranging from local horticultural centres to major leisure destination venues.

Justin King, vice-chairman of Terra Firma and chairman of WGC, said: "The improvements made by the new leadership team at Wyevale Garden Centres supported by 6,000 dedicated colleagues, means that now is the right time to seek new, long term ownership for the business."

Roger Mclaughlan, chief executive of WGC, said: "Wyevale Garden Centres has transformed beyond recognition over the last few years, and our customers are responding really positively to all the improvements we've been making, with improved ranges, high stock availability and exceptional garden centre standards."