Entrepreneur Richard Branson is believed to be interested in acquiring the David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) health club chain.

He is understood to be considering making a bid for some of the chain’s facilities in order to expand his Virgin Active business.

Last week Branson’s Virgin Group announced that it had bought back the 55 per cent stake in Virgin Active that it had sold to private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital in 2002.

Whitbread, which owns the DLL business, declined to comment on the recent media speculation, while no-one at Virgin Active was available to comment at the time Leisure Opportunities went to press.