DIY enthusiasts are fuelling sales at B&Q-to-Comet group Kingfisher.

The company, which has three B&Q outlets and two Comet stores in Oxfordshire, said sales in the three months to November 2 were up 9.8 per cent on the same time last year, at £2.7bn.

The increase was driven by Kingfisher's home improvement business, which achieved a 16.1 per cent total sales lift after a sluggish previous three months.

Like-for-like sales in the division, which is Europe's biggest DIY retailer, rose 5.2 per cent as profits in the operation lifted 28.7 per cent to £151m.

But depressed consumer confidence across Europe was blamed by Kingfisher for the performance of its electrical and furniture arms. It is planning to spin off the electricals business next year and said it had "a number of viable separation options".

The split would leave Kingfisher with an international DIY business which currently operates more than 600 stores in 12 countries.

Today's figures mean Kingfisher's sales for the nine months to November 2 have grown by ten per cent with like-for-like sales up 1.6 per cent. Profits lifted 18.2 per cent to £474.5m.

Chairman Francis Mackay said: "Kingfisher has continued to deliver good results this year despite a difficult European electricals market.

"We've also made significant progress towards transforming the group into a specialist home improvement retailer."