Kleinwort Capital, formerly Dresdner Kleinwort Benson Private Equity, has sold Octopus Publishing, one of the UK's largest illustrated publishers, to Hachette-Livre, a division of France's Lagardere Media Group.

A spokeswoman for Kleinwort Capital - still trading as Dresdner Kleinwort Benson Private Equity until it has shareholder approval - said it was an important exit in a difficult market.