Indigo Sun, the biggest tanning chain in the UK, has reported its best-ever results and plans further expansion, with a focus on London and the south east.

The Stirling-based company recovered from the Covid lockdown with a £5.53 million pre-tax profit for the year to the end of September, against £2.02m in 2021 and a £1.16m loss in 2020 .

Turnover topped £26m last year from £13.4m in the previous 12 months and £10.6m in 2020.

Founder and CEO Frank Taylor said the firm’s figures outstrip performance in pre-Covid 2019 when the firm reported £2.3m of pre-tax profit on £17.35m turnover.

Mr Taylor said the recovery had given the business a platform for expansion.

Between February 2020 and September 2022, Indigo Sun opened 14 salons and refurbished another 10. Of those 15 are in England and nine in Scotland.

Indigo Sun now operates almost 100 tanning venues across the UK, employing 817 people.