Kingfisher Leisure is to open a new site in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

The late-night bar operator is continuing to consider the sale of other sites which are loss-making or generating poor returns and have limited potential without further investment.

Kingfisher reported half-year pre-tax profit of £352,000 compared with a £626,000 loss the previous year on sales up from £7.3m to £8.2m. Like-for-like sales in December climbed 21%.

It plans to reduce gearing to below 33% during the next financial year. Two previously loss-making units in Nottingham and Birmingham have turned a profit.