TELECOMS firm BT has seen pre-tax profits surge by nearly a quarter as it begins a new era armed with Darlington’s largest private employer.

The company says reported pre-tax profits were 24 per cent higher at £862m in the third quarter to December 31, while revenue growth was up three per cent to £4.5bn.

The results come after BT completed its £12.5bn takeover of mobile phone operator, EE, which employs more than 1,500 call centre staff in Darlington and has hundreds more workers in Doxford, Sunderland, and Cobalt Business Park, near Newcastle.

Bosses have indicated jobs are safe in the short-term, as they set up a new division aimed at helping businesses and public sector customers.

Gavin Patterson, chief executive, said: “These are exciting times; we have completed our acquisition of EE and are confident we will deliver the anticipated cost and revenues.

“EE will become a separate consumer-focused line of business in the group.

“We’re also creating a new organisation to serve business and public sector customers in the UK, combining BT Business with EE’s business division and parts of BT Global Services’ UK operations.

“BT Global Services will focus on serving multinational companies and major customers outside the UK.”

BT’s deal for EE has created the UK's biggest telecoms company and went ahead after the Competition and Markets Authority gave its approval.

It creates a combination that will have around 35 million mobile, broadband and TV customers.

EE recently announced a multi-million pound investment programme to refurbish its Darlington-based call centre and billing operations.