Trinity and Mirror Group, the merger partners planning to create Britain's largest newspaper group, yesterday both reported improved first-half profits. Mirror said the sale of its stake in Scottish Media Group added £27 million sterling to pre-tax profits of £82 million in the 26 weeks to July 4th on turnover of £360 million. Trinity, whose chief executive, Mr Philip Graf will take the same job in the combined group, lifted pre-tax profits 18 per cent to £42.5 million.

Details were not disclosed by Trinity for the performance of the Sunday Business Post which it owns but sales of the title continued to grow, increasing by a further 2 per cent.