Examiner Publications, the publisher of the Examiner and Evening Echo newspapers, has announced a 170 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to £2.29 million for last year.

The profits were made on a turnover of £25.9 million, which is up substantially on the previous year. The company says the increase in profits results from rising sales and a 20 per cent increase in advertising revenue within both publications.

According to the company's chief executive, Mr Alan Crosbie, the continuing buoyancy of the economy means circulation and advertising revenue should continue to grow.

The pre-tax profit figure does not include an "exceptional item" of £53,000 used to pay for a staff voluntary redundancy package. The profit figure does take account of a once-off profit-sharing scheme with the staff. This involved all staff receiving 8 per cent of the 1997 profits. Mr Crosbie said the company was happy to share its profits with its employees and said it may repeat the scheme.

The figures are separate to those of Thomas Crosbie Holdings, the holding company for the group's provincial newspapers, the West- ern People and the Waterford News & Star and its share-holdings in Mid-West and North-West Radio. That company reported a fall in profits from £1.1 million in 1995 to £923,000 in 1996.

Mr Crosbie said the newspaper was benefiting substantially from its printing contracts with News International.