JET engine maker Rolls-Royce said profits lifted 21 per cent last year on the back of a better-than-expected recovery in the civil aerospace market.

London-based Rolls, which has a factory in Sunderland employing 350 people, said underlying pre-tax profits before one-off items in the year to December 31 came in at £345m against £285m last time.

The group said sales in 2004 rose five per cent to £5.9bn due in large part to the faster civil aerospace revival and 14 per cent growth in engine servicing revenues to £3.2bn.

Chief executive John Rose said Rolls was entering 2005 with a record order book of £18.9bn against £17.4bn beforehand.