HEDGE End-based VT Group, the support services specialist and warship builder, released record annual pre-tax profits of £55.5m up 33 per cent. The FTSE 250-listed company, which has 13,000 employees worldwide, including 600 at its warship factory at Portsmouth, also saw turnover increase by 15 per cent to £847m.

According to VT's annual results published this morning, its order book is strong at £2.4 billion. The final dividend will be paid on August 9.