FACTBOX: Five Facts about Alliance & Leicester

LONDON (Reuters) - British bank Alliance & Leicester ALLL.L said on Monday it was at an advanced stage of discussions about receiving a takeover offer.

A&L shares soared 45 percent to 317 pence -- the value of the bid -- after the statement, which did not name the potential bidder. BBC Radio named the bidder as Spanish bank Santander (SAN.MC).

Here are five facts about Alliance & Leicester:

* A&L has long been considered a takeover target, and Santander was reported to have held talks with A&L late last year.

* Britain's seventh-largest bank, its shares had slumped by around two-thirds and underperformed rivals by around 48 so far this year, hit by concern over higher funding costs and low growth prospects.

* In May, A&L took a 192 million pound hit to profit from toxic assets, and analysts warned that sum could all but wipe out first-half profit and prompt a dividend cut.

* A&L's core tier 1 ratio -- a key measure of capital adequacy -- was 6.4 percent and it had a total capital ratio of 11.7 percent at the end of March. These levels are traditionally considered comfortable, but with rivals' rights issues and ongoing market turbulence, analysts said pressure to bolster its balance sheet was unlikely to ease.

* The A&L Group traces its origins to 1852 and the formation of the Leicester Permanent Benefit Society. In 1985, the Leicester Building Society merged with the Alliance Building Society to create Alliance & Leicester. In 1990 the group purchased Girobank from the Post Office.