Domestic insurer Homeserve has said it will give shareholders a £97 million special dividend which reflects its confidence on future prospects.

That came as chief executive Richard Harpin outlined how the business has boosted customer numbers by 15 per cent to 6.3 million across Europe and the US.

The Walsall-based firm, which has 2.1 million UK customers, said underlying pre-tax profits lifted 1.5 per cent to £85.4 million in the year to the end of March.

Mr Harpin said: "Customer satisfaction and retention are increasing and we will continue to invest in technology to deliver even better service levels and efficiencies."