Support services group Amey has posted a strong set of interim results, with pre-tax profit climbing 40% to £12.9m, despite a year of controversy over its accounting policies and contract losses.
Amey was forced earlier this year to restate its results for 2000 after analysts complained that its accounting was not in line with other firms' policies. Amey also lost out on a number of contracts, but has managed to pick one of the lucrative Tube public–private partnership deals.

The company said it was confident that Labour's commitment to PPP would send its full year figures towards a pre-tax profit of £53m.

Chief executive Brian Staples said: "There has been a marked upturn in the flow of public sector bids since the election and we expect that situation to accelerate."

There’s been an upturn in public sector bids, and we expect that to accelerate

Brian Staples, chief executive

The jump in profit came on the back of a rise in turnover of 33% to £397.6m. Much of the increase was a result of growth in the company's forward order book, which stands at a record £3.5bn.

Staples said more than £1.6bn of new work had been secured in the first half of the year. He added that the restructuring of the group to encompass Tubelines, the London Underground consortium, had resulted in its appointment as the preferred bidder for the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines.