BAKERY group Greggs has toasted strong takeaway sales over the Christmas period for puffing up its performance during the last six months.

The Newcastle-based company, which has 1,100 outlets around the country, said like-for-like sales for the second half of the year had grown in line with expectations.

Greggs, which is due to announce its full year figures in March, said it had seen a particularly strong performance from its takeaway food range of products.

In a trading update yesterday, Greggs said its second-half like-for-like sales figures were likely to better the six per cent reported for the first six months.

Greggs added that strong gains had been made during the final two weeks of the year.

However comparisons had been affected by weak trading in 1999 when there had been fewer trading days - because of extra millennium public holidays and the fact Christmas and New Year had both fallen on weekends.

The trading statement whetted the appetite of the City as Greggs' share price lifted. By the close of trading the shares had closed up 62p to stand at £27.

Greggs serves more than four million customers a week. As well as Greggs it also operates the Bakers Oven brand.