US firms coming to London, resurgent equities in Europe, and a desire to strengthen distribution teams are among the trends driving hedge fund expansion in the UK capital.

Hedge funds in London's West End have so far this year taken up twice the amount of new office space than they did in the whole of 2012, according to a report that was published this week by Cushman & Wakefield. The report found that within the alternative investment sector, hedge funds have been the most active in terms of leasing office space. They account for almost a third of take up so far this year.