Newly merged electrical goods retail Dixons Carphone says it has reported a "barnstorming performance" in its first set of half-year results.

The firm, which was created by the merger of Dixons Retail and Carphone Warehouse, reported a rise of 30% in underlying profit to £79 million for the six months to November.

However, Dixons Carphone also made a loss before tax of £20 million, after £100 million of charges related to its merger.

The company, which also owns the brands PC World and Currys, said group sales had risen by 5%.

Chief executive Sebastian James said: "We have seen a barnstorming performance from our UK and Ireland division. This has been driven by continued improvements in price and service, competitive changes, technology launches and some recovery in the economy,"