But shares fall 5%

Finance recruiter Michael Page reported a record pre-tax profit of £45.2m for the six months to June, up from £30.5m a year earlier.

Chief executive Steve Ingham said: “We experienced excellent growth in most geographies and are particularly encouraged by our performance in Europe and the Americas.”

Turnover rose 24.6% to 312m (from £250.4m). However, the market was disappointed by the results and the shares fell 5% in early trade.