The protracted battle between Britain’s biggest supermarket and Scotland’s richest man looked to have finally gone the way of Tesco after Sir Tom Hunter agreed to sell his stake in Dobbies Garden Centres.

Almost a year after Tesco revealed a surprising £155.6m acquisition attempt, the supermarket group appeared to have its green fingers on the keys of Dobbies, having fought Sir Tom, the retail and property entrepreneur, on the stock market and via the courts.