Chesham Amalgamations, the UK mergers and acquisitions broker which for years has placed adverts in newspapers to find buyers for private companies, has put itself up for sale.

The firm, set up in 1962 by John Singer, helps prepare private companies for sale to public companies. At one time the business was owned by British American Tobacco, but in 1986 was bought by Jim Paton, who died five years ago, and John Fleming.