The construction support services firm attributed its successful integration of Mowlem, acquired in February 2006, as a key driver in its growth. After a net financing expense of £1.6m, the group reported underlying profit before tax was £34.3m, an increase from £26.9m in 2006.

The news comes on the day that Carillion completed a refinancing of its corporate borrowing facilities, which have been increased by £261m from £329m to £590m. The facilities are expected to support the medium term growth strategy of the group.

The company’s order book, which stands at £15.8bn, reflects the group’s growth in its chosen markets: of which £8.6bn relates to support services, £2.4bn to construction services and £4.8bn to our equity investments in Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects.

Commenting, Carillion's group finance director, Richard Adam, said: “We are pleased to have negotiated new facilities over the last few months, particularly in the current challenging conditions of the global debt markets. This demonstrates the banking community's strong support for, and confidence in, the Carillion Group and we look forward to working with our core banks to build on the strong relationships we have with them.”