RICHMOND Foods plc, the North Yorkshire ice cream manufacturer, has reported a 25 per cent rise in its annual pre-tax profits to £3.77 million.

The results reflect a 36 per cent increase in turnover to £70.6 million following the group's acquisition during the year of Allied Frozen Food's ice cream business and more is to come, according to Richmond Foods chairman Brian Fidler.

He said: "The acquisition is expected to double our turnover on a full year basis and has given the company an even wider portfolio of ice cream products."

Mr Fidler said that integration in production and purchasing of the two organisations, steered by finace director Andy Finneran, and chief executive James Lambert, was already showing through "with significant full year effects yet to be felt."

The takeover of AFF's ice cream business has given the Leeming Bar-based company the ability to trade with all the major supermarket groups.

Earnings per share, after exceptional charges of £665,000 for restructuring, shows growth of almost 12 per cent, from 9.5p to 10.6p.

A final dividend of 2.5p to be added to the interim dividend of 0.5p was now proposed for the company's annual meeting on January 26.