DOBBIES Garden Centres has posted a pre-tax profit of £14.5 million in its final set of full accounts before its sale by Tesco to private investors in June.

The business, which had been bought by Tesco after a takeover tussle with Sir Tom Hunter in 2008, had booked a loss of £48.4m the year before. That loss was attributed to a £54.4m impairment on the company’s tangible and intangible assets.

The new accounts have been published after Tesco offloaded Dobbies to Hattington Capital for £217 million in August.

Hattington’s Barney Burgess was previously Tesco’s commercial director, having run its grocery home shopping business.

The latest accounts for Dobbies, which has more than 10 centres in Scotland, show turnover rose to £153.7m, from £152.9m, in the year to February 28.