Ireland is the best performing market for Boots, the company said yesterday as it reported a 5.9 per cent rise in operating profit in the first half of the year to £284.2 million sterling.

Boots does not break down figures for its Irish operation but said sales growth here since April had been particularly strong in the health and beauty sectors, despite the global economic slowdown. The company has 29 stores in the Republic and 1,200 employees.