Angus MacDonald ups his Helius stake

PERTHSHIRE investor Angus MacDonald, who sold his Financial News businesses in 2007 for £79 million, has increased his stake in Aim-quoted biomass plant developer Helius Energy.

MacDonald, who is a non-executive director at the firm, snapped up 500,000 shares at 16.5p each, taking his stake up to 24 million shares, or 18.13 per cent.

Other shareholders in the company – which is building a waste-to-heat plant at Rothes, in Moray, which will run on by-products from whisky distillers – include shipping heir Alastair Salvesen, who owns a 23 per cent stake.