Record pre-tax profits of more than £2.6 million sterling were announced yesterday by Ewart, the Northern Irish quoted property company, for the 14-month period to June 30th last.

Turnover amounted to almost £15 million with earnings per share of 6.16p. This compares to a £1.8 million profit for the previous 12-month period, on a turnover of £7.8 million, with earnings per share of 4.4p. During the 14-month period, the company acquired a site in central Belfast which has outline planning permission for building 70,000 sq ft of offices.

The company completed its De Courcy Shopping Centre in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, with Tesco as the anchor tenant. Ewart Car Parks recently won a management contract with the Hilton Hotel in Kensington, London, and acquired a surface car park in Ayr, Scotland, for £1.1 million.

Ewart, with its partner, Ladbroke Group, is to add an extra floor to the Hilton Hotel in Belfast, due to open next year as Northern Ireland's largest hotel with 193 bedrooms. The chief executive, Mr Barry Gilligan, announced a plan to build apartments and a 50,000 sq ft leisure complex at Lanyon Place.