Hewden Stuart says crane hire will continue

Hewden Stuart has denied speculation that it is pulling out of crane hire. A statement issued by the company said: "The board can confirm that Hewden will continue to offer a crane rental service to customers well into the future."

While the statement continues by pointing out the company has invested more than £8m in 33 new mobile cranes over recent months, no mention is made of the tower crane division.

When questioned about this, a spokesman said there was nothing to add to its previous statement on the tower crane business: that the group is in discussions with a third party over the proposed sale of Hewden Tower Cranes.