Aquilo and VFM Services' partnership has ended.

Under the arrangement, Aquilo would have provided the infrastructure to support VFM's fraud detection methods.

VFM managing director Bill Jackson said: "VFM has decided that both its own and its client's interests are best served by VFM offering a totally independent service to the market."

Aquilo chief executive Clive Nicholls said: "We are continuing to look for industry-scaleable solutions, as evidenced by our latest pilot with NCORP."

Gabrielle Ashley, director of rival Absolute Customer Management said: "The end of the deal is not surprising. It is difficult to combine a processing company and a specialist company. The two don't go together."