The purchase is part of BBC Magazines strategy to grow through new launches and acquisitions, and follows its purchase of Parentwise magazine last year.

A spokesman for BBC Magazines said the acquisition would provide the publisher with a specialist-publishing arm, and would enable it to relocate three specialist titles to Origins Bristol base.

The titles that will move are BBC History Magazine, BBC Wildlife and BBC Music Magazine.

It said the titles would benefit from Origins experience and knowledge of specialist markets and specialist distribution channels.

The spokesman said that although the three titles had relocated, they would not be moving from their respective printers.

A new three-year contract had only been signed in the past year with BBC Music and BBC History magazines printer Polestar, said the spokesman.

Origin will continue to be run by chief executive Kevin Cox and will be managed as a wholly owned subsidiary of BBC Magazines.

Titles such as Focus and Living History are among 12 specialist consumer titles published by Origin.

The publisher also produces contract titles such as HMV Choice and Waterstones Books Quarterly.

Story by Andy Scott