RETAILER Boots vowed to inject £85m into its pension fund after raising cash through the sale of its Nurofen-to-Strepsils business.

The high street chain said the sum - equivalent to its pension deficit at the last valuation in 2004 - would ensure the fund remained "one of the healthiest in the UK".

It comes amid increasing concern over the pension fund gaps of many UK companies. Boots had already agreed to pay £11.7m a year over 10 years into its fund and will continue to make these payments.