The figures were at the top end of analysts' forecasts and also showed a rise in year-end cash balances from £9.1m to £10.4m.. Eurocamp Independent Booking volumes increased by more than 20 per cent, although there was some reduction in margins because of the previous year's sterling devaluation.Investors liked the latest results, and the accompanying improvement in the total dividend from 9.75p to 10.5p. A 12-night family holiday in France in the peak August period costs about £650 through Eurocamp, compared with the company'sall-in price for those who use its equipment of about £1,100.To counter competition, while at the same time maintaining its upmarket image, Eurocamp has cut prices by introducing a "kids-go-for-free" marketing strategy.Sales of the more profitable mobile-home holidays were, as expected, a big growth area.In Germany and Switzerland, bookings increased by more than 20 per cent, while the Netherlands and Belgium grew by 10 per cent.French Country Camping bookings increased by 40 per cent. Profits before tax for the year to October rose from a depressed £6.25m to £8.65m. Forward bookings for this summer are 10 per cent higher than at the same time last year.The company made £9.4m in 1991/92, but then suffered from sterling's devaluation and increased competition from the likes of Eurosites, which is owned by Airtours and offers comparable holidays for about £200 less for a fortnight for a family of four.Eurocamp, which was also affected then by a low take-up of its packages linked to Disneyland near Paris, has increased occupancy levels for its traditional camping holidays and its independent camping business, aimed at those with their own equipment.Independent campers benefit greatly from the company's buying power on ferry crossings, which cost up to £400 in the high season. Eurocamp, the self-drive camping specialist, is recovering and poised to benefit from the expected sharp increase in holiday traffic stemming from the now fully operational Channel Tunnel.

About £40m of a £90m provision at the time of the acquisition remained to be spent.When RHM was acquired it was estimated to be running with 12 per cent overcapacity but was now operating flat-out following the closure of six bakeries and seven distribution depots.. Mr Hutchings said the improvement, despite a small decline in sales, had been achieved by selling loss-making shops and resisting the temptation to chase market share at the expense of profit.The division is now two-thirds of the way through a three-year rationalisation programme, which had cost a further £17.4m in redundancies and asset write-downs during the half. Heavy investment through the recession was reflected in margin growth from 7.8 per cent to 9.3 per cent as conditions improved.Profits from RHM's milling and baking operations jumped from £7.1m to £11.1m as the operating margin increased from 2.1 per cent to 3.3 per cent. In the UK sales were flat and in the rest of Europe they fell almost 10 per cent.In the US, fast-growing sales of recreational vehicles and mobile homes boosted profits in the best-performing division, industrial products, by 49 per cent to £25.7m.

Earnings per share increased 19 per cent to 6.59p and the interim dividend was 16 per cent higher at 2.43p.Sales in America grew 32 per cent, benefiting from the acquisition in March of Noma Industries, the lawnmower maker, which is being integrated with the existing Murray business. The last big purchase was that of RHM, the Mother's Pride to Mr Kipling cakes group, bought two years ago.Profits in the first six months rose from £93.8m to £114.5m, struck from turnover up 17 per cent at £1.79bn. Greg Hutchings, chairman, said earnings had grown at almost four times the market average in the last 10 years as he promised a dividend rise for the full year of at least 15.2 per cent. He said profits and return on capital had increased in two-thirds of Tomkins' 72 subsidiary companies.Tomkins ended the half with net cash of a little over £200m but Mr Hutchings insisted that the group was in no hurry to make any further acquisitions. Strong sales growth in America helped Tomkins, the handguns, mowers and bread-baking conglomerate, to a 19 per cent rise in earnings in the six months to October. The min e opened in 1863 and was acquired by the present management, led by Roland Phelps, in 1992.The FT-SE 100 index rose 28.4 points to 3,076.7 but the supporting FT-SE 250 index was confined to an 8.6 gain to 3,473.9 Turnover was 638.7 million shares with 21,707 bargains Gilts gave ground..

Birmingham-based Brook Corporate Finance hopes to launch the shares in the next three weeks. The shares held at 2.25p.Welsh Gold, which runs a mine at Dolgellau in the Snowdonia National Park, is the latest to announce it is on its way to the backwater 4.2 share market. It has leased fournursing homes in Ulster and now has 455 beds. Analyst Sahill Shan rates the shares a buy.Tamaris, the once struggling nursing homes group being revamped by William Fitch, lifted interim profits to £118,000 and should make, believes stockbroker Teather & Greeenwood, about £250,000 for the year against just £8,000 last time. The company said progress was "satisfactory".SEP Industries edged forward 3p to 41p on talk of a GKN bid and Filtronic, a maker of mobile telephone equipment, advanced another 4p to 206p on takeover talk.Robert H Lowe, a printing and packaging and sportswear group, rose 1.5p to 11.5p following its first profit - £782,000 - for five years and the appointment of Andrew Dalton, ex-Sidlaw, as chief executive.SR Gent, the Marks & Spencer clothing supplier, held at 77p as BWD Rensburg forecast a swing from a £4.3m loss to a £6.6m profit this year with £7.6m next.