Clarion has reported an increased surplus for the first quarter of the financial year, which it says is partly due to reducing its reliance on contractors to deliver repair work.

The 125,000-home housing association, in a trading update this morning, said its pre-tax surplus for the three months to 30 June was £27.3m, up from £19m for the same period last year.

Its operating surplus, which excludes certain one-off items, increased from £52.8m to £64m over the same period.