Video Europe has agreed a deal to acquire broadcast kit hire and crewing firm Cruet.

The deal is expected to close by the end of April and will mean that Cruet becomes part of the wider Video Europe group.

It will retain its brand for the foreseeable future and Cruet managing director Will Wilkinson will continue to run the Wandsworth-based business.

Video Europe managing director Steve Green said: “The Cruet brand has been going for years. It has worked on programmes like The Apprentice and MasterChef and we feel it will be a good fit.”

Video Europe primarily provides kit for live events, including its OB trucks and flypacks. It is about to embark on work for England’s cricket tour of the West Indies and has just signed a deal with Asian sport network Ten Sports to supply flyaway systems for live production of matches for the West Indies Cricket Board, Sri Lanka Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board.

“We operate in slightly different parts of the market but we have more Alexas than any other facility in Europe, as well as 10 Red Epics. We also do a lot of dry hire kit, so [Cruet] will have more kit at its disposal for crewing and equipment packages,” Green said.

Cruet provided cameras and crew for new BBC4 show Quizeum (pictured) and cameras, crew and studio gallery for The Apprentice.

It also supplied several fixed-rig, infra-red cameras for Bring Back Borstal and a location gallery set-up and cameras for The Big Allotment Challenge.

Cruet’s Wilkinson said: “We are a bespoke services firm, but the support of Video Europe will enable us to expand while still offering a hand-holding service for productions.”

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.