Pub company Punch Taverns, which is expanding rapidly in the central south, revealed operating profits up nine per cent at £115m.

Its latest acquisitions are two pubs in the Isle of Wight and it is planning to expand further throughout the south, adding to its existing portfolio which includes pubs in, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Weymouth, Chichester, Salisbury as well as Southampton.

So far this financial year Punch has purchased five new pubs in the region, spending a total of approximately £2.2m. The company plans to invest £3.8m in its estate during this financial year on 55 projects.

Operations director Bill Walker said: "We have expanded fairly rapidly.''