Britain's only publicly quoted environmental consultancy has increased its pre-tax half-year profits by 44 per cent to £6.45m, up from £4.49m last year.

RPS Group, based at Milton Park, Abingdon, also increased turnover to £36m for the half-year ending June 30, up from £25m for the same period last year.

Chairman Dr Alan Hearne said: "I am delighted to report another period of very satisfactory growth for the group.

"The attention paid to environmental issues across Europe continues to increase from which we should benefit."

However he added that the backdrop to the first half of 2001 had been challenging, thanks to the economic downturn and uncertainties such as foot and mouth disease.

The company's planning and transport planning activities continued to grow as the Government promoted more development on "brown-field" sites .

Risk management was producing long-term contracts with the nuclear industry. The department was also researching for people wanting to acquire land which might carry environmental liabilities.

Business in the company's water services department had been depressed during the second half of 2000 as the expected restructuring of the industry failed to materialise, but had picked up in 2001. Building health and safety, such as asbestos and air and water quality, was also growing.