CI TRADERS Group, the parent company of Checkers supermarkets and the Ann Street pub chain, has reported a 33.3% rise in profits, to £14.8 million, over the past financial year.

But the group’s chairman, Tom Scott, says he is ‘unconvinced’ that it will be possible to grow the non-finance sectors of the economy, in part due to government interference.

The preliminary results to 29 January, announced today, show a decrease in the profit of existing operations, but gains from acquisitions, disposal of fixed assets, and lower operating exceptional costs.

Mr Scott said growth had been held back by ‘relatively dull market conditions across all operating businesses’.

But he added: ‘Increasingly our results will be dominated by our rapidly growing property business, which is full of potential.’ The biggest change for the group this year has been the acquisition of property group Comprop, which includes substantial developments in Guernsey.