Liffe, the UK's derivatives exchange, attempted this week to distance itself from the hostile takeover bid of the London Stock Exchange launched by Sweden's OM Gruppen.

OM Gruppen specifically referred to the potential for a tie-up with Liffe in its offer document for the LSE, made public on Tuesday morning. OM stated that it is committed to the idea of a common platform where users can trade cash and derivatives on the same screen, adding: 'OM would like to explore opportunities to co-operate with Liffe as a partner in developing this concept.'