Tesco was said to be in talks over raising up to £500 million through the sale of stores.

Tesco was said to be in talks over raising up to £500 million through the sale of stores.

The sale and leaseback deal - which would see the retail giant sell the freeholds and rent the stores back - is expected to be completed with weeks, property executives told the Sunday Telegraph.

A major British pension fund is understood to be the buyer, the paper added, with the sale used to reduce Tesco's debt.

As with previous sale and leasebacks, Tesco is expected to form a 50/50 joint venture with the pension fund allowing it to retain some element of control over the portfolio and future rent increases.

The retailer signed similar sale and lease back deals with British Land and the British Airways Pension Fund last year, raising more than £1 billion. They were part of plans of plans to free up to £5 billion of capital from property over five years.

Other retailers, including Sainsbury's, have also done similar transactions.

Supermarket chains have been under increasing pressure to unlock the value in their large freehold properties. Tesco's property portfolio - which includes more than 2,100 UK stores - is estimated to be worth £31 billion.

News of the latest talks come amid closer scrutiny over the group's debt position.

Ratings agency Moody's last month downgraded Tesco following the retailer's acquisition of the Royal Bank of Scotland's 50% stake in Tesco Personal Finance for £950 million. That followed the purchase in May of 36 hypermarkets in South Korea for £958 million.