IT recruiter FDM Group reported pre-tax profit of £1.26m for the six months to 30 June, up from £408,000 a year earlier.

Last year’s figure included flotation expenses. At 30 June, the firm’s headcount had grown to 572, from 436 at the start of the year. New clients in the period included Virgin Mobile, British Airways and Xansa.

Rod Flavell, chairman, says: “The market continues to provide a broad range of opportunities to manage demanding IT projects and address the shortage of appropriately skilled staff.”