Chartered accountants DSH has completed a merger with another Kent firm.

The Maidstone company has taken over Tenbury Chartered Accountants in a deal worth a “substantial sum”.

The move has been prompted by the retirement of managing director Philip Bramall, who founded the Charing-based firm more than 25 years ago.

DSH will take on its two staff, plus Mr Bramall in a consultancy role, after the completion of negotiations which began in August last year.

Mr Bramall – who initially trained with DSH – said: “I had been giving increasingly serious thought to my own future as well as that of the business.

“I wanted to not only provide long term security of employment for my team but also ensure my clients continued to receive the high-quality service they had become accustomed to.

“So the approach to DSH was obvious. I had always remained in touch with them and often called upon their services when any of my clients had issues that fell outside our own skill set.”

DSH partnership chairman Phil Wilson said: “The merger with Tenbury was also a natural step for us to take.

“We had been looking to grow our client portfolio for some time, so when Philip Bramall approached us, the benefits to all sides were obvious.

“Tenbury’s clients are a very close match to our own, and slot very well into DSH.

“We have always shared the same high standards of both technical ability and customer care as Tenbury, so before completing the move, we talked to clients affected and are very pleased to report that the feedback they gave was universally favourable and supportive.”

In retirement, Mr Bramwell hopes to pursue his passion for golf, having just taken over as captain of Chart Hills Golf Club in Biddenden.