J Sainsbury's influential pension trustees, who resisted a private equity bid for the UK retailer four months ago, are set to hold talks with Qatar investment company Delta Two over its £10.4bn (€15.3bn) takeover offer.

J Sainsbury today said in a statement it had agreed to allow Delta Two to perform due diligence, the precursor to a possible 600p-a-share bid. The Qatari fund owned a 25% stake in the company as of July 3, the date of its most recent filing.