A French company has submitted a bid to buy security printer De La Rue, which has major plants in Malta for the printing of banknotes and identity documents.

Orberthur Technologies is seeking to buy the company for £750m.

The company has confirmed to the international media that it had received a "highly preliminary and opportunistic approach".

It added that there was no certainty that this highly preliminary approach would lead to an offer.

Oberthur Technologies is a rival company which prints euro banknotes for France.

De La Rue is a 168-year-old company whose majority shareholding is held by the Savare family.

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