For the six months to 29 June the media group posted sales up 17% at £48.8m, while adjusted EBITDA increased by 61% at £5m.

Digital revenues grew by 12% to £10m, while sales at its Events wing almost doubled on the back of the Insider Media acquisition, to £2.5m.

National World also booked a £1m gain on its sale of Press Computer Systems (PCS), with the deal involving £3.5m in service credits that National World will use to reduce its operating costs over “the next four to five years”.

Chairman David Montgomery commented: “The enhanced performance and significantly increased profits are the result of expert integration of acquired businesses and also an energetic restructure of the operating model based around original, monetisable content, re-skilling of the talent base and greater engagement with registered customers.”

He said National World was investing in automated processes in combination with the development of a social media platform “that deepens the relationship with communities and interest groups to win back key marketplaces”.

The group publishes more than 100 newspapers and its brands include the Yorkshire Post, The Scotsman, Portsmouth News and The Star.

“National World is also alive to the attractiveness of consolidation, extracting immediate significant synergies and equipping acquired businesses with the innovative tools to grow exponentially,” Montgomery added.

Last month it acquired specialist website Serious About Rugby League for an undisclosed sum.

The group also declared its maiden interim dividend, of 0.2p per share.