Morrisons in profits hike

Supermarket chain Morrisons which has branches across the Black Country and Staffordshire has nearly doubled its profits.

The supermarket today reported pre-tax profits for 2007 of £612m, up from £369m in 2006 as long-standing chairman Sir Ken Morrison retired from his post.

Like-for-like sales at the Bradford based grocer, excluding fuel sales, rose 4.6%, down from the 5.2% in 2007.

The results suggest the chain, the UK's fourth-largest, has revived its fortunes after buying Safeway in 2004.