Accountants and business advisers Grant Thornton has unveiled a major leap in its fortunes.

The company, which has an office in Botley, saw pre-tax profits grow by 40.2 per cent to £77.6m for the year ended June 30.

Wendy Hart, managing partner of the Oxford office, said: “This is an excellent performance by the firm.

“The county’s economy has proved resilient to the general financial situation and this is reflected in the rise in inquiries we are receiving from new clients as well as strong business from our existing customer base.

“The year ahead will be challenging but we are looking forward to a period of sustained growth in 2011.”