A LEADING Weymouth tourist attraction has been bought up by an American investment giant as part of a £102.5 million deal.

Merlin Entertainments, the company behind the Weymouth Sea Life Park, was acquired by Blackstone Capital Partners from investors Hermes Private Equity.

As well as the Weymouth Sea Life Park Merlin's portfolio includes 27 other attractions in eight European countries. Between February 2004 and last February Merlin welcomed more than six million visitors.

Last year Merlin enjoyed one of its best to date with visitor numbers increasing by a million and revenue surging by 26 per cent.

Merlin chief executive Nick Varney said: "Merlin has experienced five years of consistent profit growth underlining our expertise in developing and managing branded attractions across the borders."

Joseph Baratta, a senior managing director at Blackstone, said: "We believe that the European attractions and theme park sector will enter a period of consolidation in the medium term and that Merlin is an excellent base from which to pursue follow-on acquisition opportunities.

"We also believe we have partnered with one of the best management teams in the sector led by Nick Varney. Merlin has a clear growth strategy for the future and we look forward to supporting Nick and his team in leading Merlin through its next stage of development."