Mobile phone group Three has said its underlying earnings rose 34 per cent to £311 million in the first six months of 2015 as it added 391,000 new customers.

The group, which is owned by Hutchison Whampoa, said more than half of its 8.8 million customers now use it 4G network, which was launched in 2014. Three - which employs around 4,400 people across offices in Maidenhead, Glasgow and Reading and its 347 retail stores - also saw its so-called churn ease back to 1.5 per cent from 1.6 per cent a year earlier as fewer customers quit the group.

However average revenue per customer fell year-on-year to £20.38 from £21.02.