CONSULTANTS Atkins said a string of lucrative contract wins in the region had helped it post half year pre-tax profits of £34m - up £10m on last year.

The largest engineering consultancy in the UK, which employs 400 people at offices in Newcastle, Sunderland and Stockton, forecast a rosy year ahead.

The company's project and cost management subsidiary, Faithful and Gould, is based in Stockton.

The company said it had enjoyed significant business growth in the spring and summer, with a major contract to design and manage the installation of the UK's most complex security camera network for Metro operator Nexus.

Atkins has also won contracts in the education sector, including one for a sports academy at Durham University and contracts for the Unity and Macmillan City Academies, in Middlesbrough, which are part of the Government's City Academy initiative.

As part of its three-year framework partnering agreement with Stockton Borough Council, the team is also advising on the refurbishment of Thornaby Town Hall, a grade II-listed building.

Atkins also has a commission with the Highways Agency to provide highways and structure design consultancy services for the agency's trunk road programme.

The scheme will improve safety and reduce congestion on the trunk road network by upgrading sections of the A1 to a three-lane motorway.

The group also announced that in the New Year, Ed Wallis, former chief executive of Powergen, will take over as chairman of Atkins from Mike Jeffries.

Mr Jeffries is retiring after 29 years.

Richard Hall, managing director of Faithful and Gould, said: "The market is buoyant and we are very confident of our ability to continue to win new and exciting commissions.

"We now have a clear focus for the future as to developing markets and how we might best direct our energies towards these as we seek to deliver major projects throughout the world.

"Ed Wallis is joining us at the right time."