Ventura, the third party customer services arm of management arm of retailer Next and 50 million customer contacts for other blue chip companies including Sky, Tesco Bank, Google, O2, Orange, British Gas and BMI.

It also has some public sector customers, including the Department for Work and Pensions and charities such as the RSPCA on its client list.

The move highlights Capita's increasing diversification from a core public sector focus. Paul Pindar, Chief Executive of Capita said the acquisition will allow the company to offer "wider customer management and back office outsourced services to key, blue chip clients across additional industry sectors.

Some 8,000 Ventura staff in Yorkshire, Cardiff, Milton Keynes and Pune, India, who will transfer to Capita.