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North West hygiene group Byotrol has reported sales and profit soared during the six months to September 30 due to rising demand for its products amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Daresbury-based company said sales trebled to £6.7m compared to £2.2m for the sale period last year, with gross profit rising from £0.9m to £2.3m. Net income increased to £1.2m, compared with a £0.4m loss last year.

The AIM-listed firm has £1.7m in net cash and cash equivalents after a "substantial investment in stock".

John Langlands, non-executive chairman of Byotrol, said: "This was a very strong first half performance. The business has delivered sustainable profits, benefitting from our long term strategy and of course the significant demand for our infection control products arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our employees all delivered under very difficult circumstances as we faced restrictions in movement and shortages in raw materials.

"Byotrol remains extremely well positioned to benefit from the long term demand for infection control products both during and following the pandemic."

The results released on Monday also said Byotrol had completed a licensing out of its Byotrol24 surface sanitizer to US-based Integrated Resources Inc, expected to provide "significant returns for minimal costs".