Half-year profits at infrastructure specialist ANS Group jumped 91 per cent to £473,000, up from £247,000 last year.

Total sales rose 46 per cent to £4.1m, up from £2.8m in the same period of 2006.

ANS successfully floated its security firm, Smart Identity Plc, on PLUS in September. The company is capitalised at £4.5m, with ANS retaining a 31 per cent holding.

"This is a highly encouraging position to be in at the halfway mark, and today’s figures are a result of hard work at all levels of the company," said ANS chief executive Scott Fletcher.

"We are delighted with the contributions from our core business and look forward to the further growth of our Unified Communications business in the second half of the year."