Further evidence that the scourge of private equity is retreating from our shores comes with a report from the Centre for Management Buyout Research (CMBOR).
CMBOR, which is sponsored by Barclay's, reports that only £3.4 billion worth of private equity deals were done in the UK in Q1 2007.
It may sound a lot but, in Q4 2006, £9.3 billion worth of deals were done.
The £3.4 billion level of Q107 is the worst quarter for private equity deals in the UK since Q2 04, making Q107's figure a three year low.
Thanks to Sainsbury's recently giving Blackstone, CVC Capital Partners, Texas Pacific and KKR a massive boot up their fundamental orifices, it is now to be hoped that the pirate equity guys will leave the UK alone.