The McCann family has brought its spending on Fyffes shares to more than £3.5 million in the past four months, after buying a further 250,000 shares in the market last Monday at 140p. This purchase by the family's Balkan Investments company follows purchases worth £1.6 million last week, £950,000 in mid-January and £650,000 in October. Balkan's stake in Fyffes now stands at 9.73 per cent.

Meanwhile, Fyffes director Mr John Ellis has disclosed that he sold 80,000 shares at 142p each on Thursday, realising £113,600. Mr Ellis's stake in Fyffes now stands at 215,883 shares.