Pub operator Greene King has announced that pre-tax profits fell by 15.2 per cent to £60.7m in the 24 weeks to 19 October.

The company's interim results also revealed that revenue increased marginally during the same period to £445.5m, although operating profit decreased by 4.5 per cent to £106.8m. Rooney Anand, chief executive at Greene King, said: "These results cover one of the toughest trading periods for many years. Despite this, our performance has been solid across the business, meeting market expectations."

"External conditions are likely to worsen in the new year, and so we continue to realign our businesses to reflect the rapidly changing environment."