Enodis set to get fresh Manitowoc bid -paper

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - British kitchen equipment maker Enodis Plc (ENO.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is set to get a fresh offer from diversified U.S. manufacturer Manitowoc Co Inc (MTW.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) worth up to 1.3 billion stg ($2.53 billion), the Sunday Express newspaper reported.

The new offer, equivalent to as much as 300 pence per share, could come as early as this week and would top an agreed bid of 282p from Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), putting Manitowoc back in the game to control the UK maker of fast-food fryers.

The newspaper did not identify its sources.

Manitowoc originally struck a deal to buy Enodis for 260p a share in April, but that agreement was derailed by its U.S. rival ITW.

Investors in Enodis have been hoping for a bidding war to drive the stock higher. The shares ended on Friday at 298p after touching a high of 301p.

Manitowoc has estimated that buying Enodis would expand its food service segment to over a third of total company sales from about 11 percent.

At about $5 billion in market capitalisation, Manitowoc is one-fifth the size of ITW. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Jason Neely)