Two long-established Sheffield-based firms of accountants, Hawsons and Holmes Widlake, have announced their merger this month.

The Holmes Widlake team of seven staff has now joined Hawsons at their offices in Sheffield. Hawsons, which was formed nearly 160 years ago, also has offices in Doncaster and Northampton.

Hawsons' senior partner, Martyn Weatherall said: 'We have always focused on providing our clients with advice of the highest quality and we fully intend to extend this to our new clients. These new clients will also be able to benefit from the wide range of specialists we have and we look forward to working together.'

As part of the merger, Trevor Holmes, former managing director of Holmes Widlake, will join Hawsons in a consultancy role.

Holmes said: 'This is the right time for us to merge with Hawsons, who are a highly respected firm and share the same ethos in providing clients with an expert, yet friendly and personal service. I strongly believe this is the perfect fit for both clients and staff.'