INTERNET auction house eBay has announced a massive 77 per cent rise in profits to more than $180m.

The group, which hit the headlines recently for selling Britney Spears' wedding bra online, said sales had gone up by 51 per cent in the past three months.

The site, which also sold the football which England captain David Beckham hit into the crowd during his penalty miss in the recent European Championships, moved to the UK in 1999. It said the total value of goods and services traded on eBay UK has risen by 160 per cent over the past 12 months.