Howdens recorded £785 million in sales during the first half of 2021, an increase of 69 per cent on the same period last year and a fifth higher than the £652 million it recorded in 2019, before the pandemic.

The firm, which last year opened its 76th depot in Scotland, is now expecting pre-tax profits of £300 million, up significantly from the previous forecasts of £253 million, The Times reports.

The news has helped to buoy the company’s share price to 883.2p as of this morning, up by more than four per cent on last week.