Vodafone confirms talks with Three UK about merger

Vodafone has said the European telecoms industry must consolidate. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Vodafone and the owner of Three UK have confirmed they are in talks about a potential merger that would create Britain’s biggest mobile operator.

Amid the wave of consolidation in the British and European telecoms sectors in recent years, Vodafone and CK Hutchison, the parent company of Three UK, have long been considered potential candidates for a tie-up.