The online recruitment firm, hot group, has started 2004 with yet another acquisition.

AIM-listed hot group bought five companies last year and its latest £400,000 purchase suggests the spending spree is not over.

Its latest buy is The Graduate, a business specialising in Graduate Recruitment in the UK and Europe.

For the year ended 30 November 2002, The Graduate recorded turnover of £205,807, a pre-tax loss of £89,874 and net liabilities of £73,241.

The Graduate will now collaborate with hot group's existing website targeted at younger users, hotrecruit.com.

Hot group's chairman and chief executive Tony Reeves said: "The Graduate's strong client base and reputation complements our existing student business and takes us into a new market area.

"It is our ultimate aim to build hotrecruit.com into the UK's leading young person's jobsite, targeting school leavers, students, graduates and first and second time jobseekers."