Land Secs leases London office to News Int'l

LONDON Aug 27 (Reuters) - Land Securities (LAND.L), the UK's largest listed property firm, said on Thursday it has leased 11 floors of a London office block to Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper arm, News International, for up to 10 years.

The News Corp (NWSA.O) unit will occupy the ground to 10th floors of 3 Thomas More Square in central London, and supporting spaces totalling 192,000 square feet, providing 4.2 million pounds ($6.8 million) rent a year, Land Securities said.

"In what have been challenging occupational markets, we are delighted to have secured one of the biggest lettings of the year with a premium occupier at a sound rental level," Land Securities Chief Executive Francis Salway said in a statement. Land Securities owns the property jointly with the Cadillac Fairview Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.

News International said on Aug. 20 it plans to close its afternoon freesheet thelondonpaper after it posted an almost 13 million pound pretax loss for the year. [ID:nLK597332] (Reporting by Daryl Loo) ($1=.6170 Pound) (See www.reutersrealestate.com for the global service for real estate professionals from Reuters)