Elementary for snooper Kroll

THESE are good times for snoopers. Kroll Associates, the world's biggest quoted Sherlock Holmes, said profits are soaring as terrorist attacks and dodgy accounting on Wall Street has got everyone in business looking over their shoulders. Profits in the last three months alone rose 400%.

The office in London's Savile Row, headquarters for investigations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, has become the biggest in Kroll's global network as business has ballooned. Kroll has 55 offices worldwide.

London boss Anne Tiedemann said: 'We've had a dramatic rise in business from multinationals operating in high-risk areas such as the Middle East. Many are now taking a hard look at who they're doing business with, and who their employees are.'

There is also strong demand for services such as data recovery in cases of suspected corporate fraud.

Kroll shares have doubled since 11 September. The company predicts that profits will continue to rise sharply this year.