Dobbies garden centres has revealed a sharp rise in operating profit, making £9.8m in the 12 months to February 28, 2010.
This compares to an operating profit of £8.1 for the 16 months to February 28, 2009 - the different time frames reflecting changes to the group's reporting period, bringing them in line with parent company Tesco.

Dobbies announced in April that annual sales had passed £100m for the first time, and this is confirmed in the report filed at Companies House, which shows a turnover of £103.8m. Staff numbers rose from 1987 in 2009 to 2074, while the salary bill decreased from £29.2m to £24.8m.

For a more detailed analysis of Dobbies' performance over the past 12 months, look out for DIY Week Garden Retail Leaders 2010, published in the September 10 issue of DIY Week.