The housebuilder confirmed that Redrow and Galliford Try had made cash-and-shares and all-share offers respectively

Redrow has formally backed out of the bidding to buy rival housebuilder Bovis.

In a statement to investors this morning, Redrow said it had concluded it was 鈥渘ot in its shareholders鈥 best interests鈥 to increase its takeover offer.

It emerged on 12 March that Bovis had been approached with takeover offers by both Redrow and Galliford Try, both of which it rejected.

But talks with Galliford Try - which proposed an all-share deal valuing Bovis at 拢1.19bn, or 拢8.86 per share - are ongoing.

Under stock exchange rules it has until 9 April to make a firm offer or 鈥榳alk away鈥.

Last month Bovis announced a 3% fall in annual pre-tax profits, down to 拢154.7m on turnover just over 拢1bn.

It also revealed it was making what it called a 鈥渙ne-off 拢7m customer care provision鈥 after a high level of customer service issues, including buyers moving into newly built homes that suffered from problems including electrical and plumbing faults.

The group is still looking for a chief executive after the departure of David Ritchie in January.