FASHION house Burberry posted higher first-half profits yesterday but voiced fears that wholesale customers were not ordering as many of its clothes as before.

Pre-tax profits rose to £81.1m in the six months to the end of September from £79.4m before the costs of its Project Atlas overhaul were taken into account.

The results should be the last given by Burberry before it becomes independent from Argos owner GUS.

GUS is due to give details of the proposed demerger of its 65 per cent stake in Burberry with its interim results tomorrow.