Sir Tom Hunter has set out to scupper Tesco’s agreed £228m takeover of Dobbies Garden Centres by doubling his consortium’s stake in the nursery chain.

The Scottish entrepreneur sparked a bidding war with the country’s biggest supermarket chain by acquiring a further 10 per cent of Dobbies at £17.50 a share, a 16.7 per cent premium to Tesco’s bid made last Friday. The purchase, which occurred after the market closed on Wednesday, takes the consortium’s stake led by Sir Tom to 20.6 per cent.