Blackstone close to clinching £800m-plus NEC Group takeover

The world's largest property investor is close to clinching an £800m-plus takeover of the NEC Group, the live events complex which plays host to Crufts.Sky News has learnt that Blackstone could strike a deal to buy the Birmingham-based complex as soon as Friday.The deal will be one of the largest buyouts of a British company signed this year, and will come just weeks after Blackstone agreed a £1.4bn deal to buy Network Rail's commercial property portfolio comprising thousands of prem