Pasting for JC Decaux at £6.3m

TOUGH times in the outdoor advertising markets and cut-throat competition to provide street furniture halved net profits at JC Decaux, the world leader, to halve to e10.2m (£6.3m) last year. The slump, despite sales ahead 8.9% to e1.54bn, would have been worse, but for lower interest charges after its flotation on Euronext last June.

Britain was the brightest star in a jaded firmament. Revenues from contracts to provide bus-shelters, litter bins, automated toilets and the like rose 13%.

Income from transport advertising - Decaux plasters many UK airports with revolving panels and owns the giant Concorde model at Heathrow - added 8.6% to e333m. But only acquisitions pushed billboard revenues ahead 7.1% to e411m. Like-for-like revenues slumped 9%.

Chief executive Jean-François Decaux said the current quarter was difficult.