HOLIDAY village operator Center Parcs has announced annual profits of £24.4m and said efforts to find a fifth site were going well.

The group, which made its stock market debut in December, said the pre-exceptional figure for the 53 weeks to April 22 was in line with hopes after maintaining its record for achieving occupancy rates above 90 per cent. It did not give a profit figure for the previous year. Center Parcs UK has four sites - Longleat Forest, near Bath; Oasis Whinfell Forest, in the Lake District; Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham, and Elveden Forest, in Suffolk - and recently revealed its intention to open a fifth.

It is also considering opportunities to build on the popularity of its on-site Aqua Sana health and beauty spas.

Chief executive Martin Dalby said the outlook was bright, with 59 per cent of its annual target for bookings already confirmed for this financial year.

As Center Parcs only gained its listing on the junior Alternative Investment Market in December, yesterday's full-year figures are based on estimates by the board.

In the 19 weeks since flotation, the company achieved underlying profits of £100,000 and turnover of £72.3m, although this was achieved during its weakest trading period.

Further developments at Oasis Whinfell Forest and Longleat Forest also helped increase the accommodation stock by four per cent to 3,205 by April 22. An additional 65 villas have opened since then.