Breedon has confirmed it is a frontrunner to buy any businesses sold off to gain Competition Commission clearance for the £1.8bn mege-merger between Larfarge and Anglo’s Tarmac business.

The Competition Commission threw the whole deal into question this month when its raised concerns that the deal would restrict the market for bulk cement and rail aggregates in the UK.

It also warned competition would be dangerously limited in 23 local aggregates markets and a handful of regions covering asphalt and readymix supplies.

Now Breedon has expressed it interest in any sell off of businesses, both materials giants may be encourage to proceed with the Lafarge-Tarmac merger, which is expected to reap operational cost savings of £60m.

Simon Vivian, Breedon’s chief executive, told the Financial Times: “We are on standby to do a bigger deal and our shareholders are supportive of that and we will watch with interest.”

Breedon bought C&G Concrete last year for £10.5m and hopes to beef up it quarrying, asphalt and concrete assets even further through a business transforming deal.

As the largest independent aggregates group in the UK, it operates 26 quarries, 18 asphalt plants and 41 ready-mixed concrete plants in England and Scotland and employing over 800 staff.