CONTAMINATION control and hygiene products manufacturer Tristel said yesterday that its overseas sales had more than doubled during the first half of its current financial year.

Tristel, based at Snailwell, near Newmarket, said overall revenues for the six months to December 31 were 10.9% up at �5.061million, against �4.565m, while overseas sales grew by 100.8% to �775,000 from �386,000.

Gross margin increased to 68.6%, from 65.5%, although pre-tax profit dipped to �262,000 from �433,000 at last year’s half-way stage.

Tristel said overheads were 25.2% up on last year’s first half, although the increase was only 12.4% compared with the second half of last year.

Chief executive Paul Swinney said: “The revenue growth achieved in the first half augurs well for the future.

“Our UK hospital infection control business increased sales of instrument disinfectants by 23.2% in the areas that we focus upon today of ENT, urology and cardiology.

“We managed to slow the pace of decline in sales in our legacy UK business that focussed on digestive endoscopy,” he said.

The company’s major investments last year – its operations in China and Germany and the supply of contamination control products to pharmaceutical and personal care manufacturers – had all helped drive sales, added Mr Swinney..