Klippan Paper chairman Jan Bernander has again been invited to meet Inveresk and talk about his plans for the Scottish papermaker after the beneficial owner of 4.2m shares bought last week was revealed to be an associate of Klippan.


The information came to light in a written response to a letter from Inveresk to Peel Hunt Nominees, which holds the shares on behalf of Ms A Peters of St Johns Wood, London.


"It does not seem very subtle to hide behind the nominee purchaser as has happened here," said Inveresk finance director Gerard Cassels.


"In many ways Ms Peters should be seen as an associate of Jan Bernander rather than Klippan Paper."


Cassels said Bernander should "come and talk to us" if he wanted to seek board representation or merge the companies.


Bernander took his personal shareholding in Inveresk to 6.3% earlier this year by purchasing 750,000 shares.


"In all of this Bernander has not been very forthcoming at all. He appears to be continuing the process of purchasing shares and not communicating," Cassels said.


Klippan Paper purchased 3.8m shares in Inveresk last year, and indicated that it wished to "improve its shareholding and seek board representation".


Bernander and his associates are entitled to attend an Inveresk shareholders meeting scheduled for the end of April.


Story by Andy Scott