Construction and services group Alfred McAlpine said it had boosted its order book with a string of deals worth £200m.

The London-based firm, which employs 8,500 people, said the majority of the work involved extending existing contracts with water companies.

McAlpine's infrastructure services arm won five-year contracts with Severn Trent Water and Northumbrian Water worth £130m combined.

It comes three months after McAlpine said its half-year results were affected by less work from utility firms, leaving underlying profits flat at £14.6m.