Bath-based accident management company Helphire is to buy car credit hire business Swift Rentacar for £25.2m.

The purchase will add Swift’s fleet of 400 prestige cars and a call centre in Cheshire to Helphire’s existing 1,000 executive vehicles, increasing Helphire’s turnover from £118m to £128m.

“Swift brings a well established operation in the field of prestige cars, which offers an excellent fit with our existing activities,” says Helphire chief executive Mark Jackson. His plan is to develop Swift as the prestige brand of the Helphire group, supplying courtesy cars to non-fault victims of road accidents.

Jackson also plans to add another seven vehicle distribution points to its 23-strong network within 12 months.