Top 30 firm Reeves has announced a merger with CLB Gatwick, (formerly a part of Haines Watts) in a move which will expand its practice in the South East.

The four partners and staff at CLB, which has offices in Horley, have merged activities with the nearby Reeves Gatwick office. CLB has an annual fee income of £1.2m, and a turnover of nearly £2.4m is anticipated from the combined offices.

Reeves said the acquisition allows the firm - ranked 28 in the Accountancy Top 60 league table - to build on its existing position in the area, which it says is a vital hub for businesses in the South East.

Reeves' managing partner Clive Stevens said: 'This near doubling of turnover at the Reeves office in Gatwick promises to consolidate our already strong position in this crucial part of the county. We expect considerable growth, particularly as the economy picks up momentum.'

The four partners from CLB Gatwick - Farouk Durrani, Martin Neve, John Pannett and James Peach - are now partners at Reeves, which employs over 300 people, including more than 40 partners and recorded a fee income of £20.3m in 2012.