The group saw pretax profits rise 23.2 per cent to £44.6m (£36.2m) on turnover up 18 per cent at £1.2bn.

Commenting on the results, John Dodds, chief executive, said:

"Our Construction and Support Services businesses have never been busier, our order books are strong and, importantly, our enquiry levels remain high.

"We have experienced teams in place in all of our businesses, a strong balance sheet and good cash resources and, in the absence of any significant market setbacks, we are firmly on track for growth this year."