WHITELEY based mortgage and loan firm County Mortgage Group has announced a 350 per cent leap in pre-tax profit for the year ending September 2005.

The business, which operates under the mortgageandloans.co.uk, c2-financial and c2-secured brands, reported profits of £1.1m during the 12-month period.

The result for the company, which employs 100 people, represents a spectacular improvement on 2004's profit of just over £300,000.

Bosses forecast profits will double again this year.

County specialises in finding mortgages and loans for customers with poor credit records, especially self-certification mortgages and finance.

David Wylie, managing director, said: "The increased profitability has been achieved as a result of tight controls on expenditure, improved efficiencies through information technology and a stronger than expected performance from the company's residential secured second loan business, c2-secured."