Barclays has bought its Canary Wharf headquarters for £750million in a vote of confidence for London as a global financial hub.

The British bank said the deal with owner Canary Wharf Group gives it control of the building at One Churchill Place beyond the expiry of its lease in 2039.

The deal, one of the biggest office building acquisitions in Europe in recent years, comes as Barclays seeks greater certainty over its costs.

The 512 ft, 32-storey skyscraper in London’s Docklands has been Barclays’ global headquarters since 2005.

‘One Churchill Place has been our home and global headquarters for more than two decades,’ said Barclays chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan.

‘This acquisition gives us long-term certainty, greater flexibility over our London footprint and reinforces our continued confidence in London as one of the world’s leading global financial centres.’

Canary Wharf Group, which is owned by Canadian asset manager Brookfield and the Qatar Investment Authority, has been ploughing money into the area to make it more attractive to tenants.