The AA has agreed to buy all 129 Halfords service centres in the UK from The Boots Company for £5.75m. Each of the sites will be rebranded as AA Service Centres.

Roger Wood, executive director responsible for road services at AA parent company Centrica, said: "The AA will now further develop these centres to offer motorists a quality maintenance and repair service of special interest to AA members."

As well as offering servicing and repairs, the AA is also developing a range of additional offers and benefits for its members and customers, such as on-site vehicle inspections.

The 1,200 Halfords' staff will be retained in the deal, says the AA.

The purchase will not affect the relationship between Halfords and Daewoo Cars. Daewoo rents space at Halfords sites as sales and service centres.

A Daewoo spokesman said it was 'business as usual' at the centres. "The AA is our warranty provider. We already have a business relationship with them and I don't see that being affected," he said.

Daewoo announced in April this year that it was closing 32 of its 74 Halfords-based operations.

The Halfords retail stores are not part of the purchase and remain part of Boots.