Outdoor clothing chain Mountain Warehouse has said its pre-tax profits jumped by a quarter to £12 million in the year to the end of February, driven by the UK's bike craze with the firm's cycling related gear jumping by 43 per cent.

The business, which runs over 200 stores, opened 34 new shops in the period as well as its first outlet in Germany, creating more than 200 jobs.

It has four outlets in Glasgow and three in Edinburgh among its Scottish store estate.

Mountain Warehouse, which sold one million waterproof jackets and 50,000 high-visibility cycling jackets over the last 12 months, added it plans to open 40 more stores in its new financial year creating up to new 300 posts.