Tesco has announced the sale of its opticians business to Vision Express for an undisclosed sum.

The deal involves Tesco Opticians' network of 206 outlets in the UK and three outlets in the Republic of Ireland.

Employees at stores in Naas, Balbriggan and Portlaoise are set to transfer with all their current terms and conditions to Vision Express after a consultation process.

The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval from the UK Competition and Markets Authority and will bring the total number of Vision Express outlets in the UK and Ireland to 598. It currently has seven outlets in the Republic.

Vision Express is owned by GrandVision and operates in over 40 countries, with a staff of more than 31,000.

Matt Davies, UK and ROI chief executive for Tesco, said:

"This allows us to further simplify and strengthen our UK business and ensures our customers are still able to enjoy high-quality eye care services from Vision Express in our larger stores.

"Our priority now is to work with our colleagues and support them through this change."

Vision Express chief executive Jonathan Lawson said the purchase would give it "the opportunity to invest in the future of the nation's eye health by extending our reach even further across [the UK and Ireland]."