Leisure operator, Merlin Entertainments, has reported strong growth for the financial year ending February 2003.

Turnover was up 9 per cent to £29.3m, compared with £26.8m for 2001/2, and EBITDA rose 12.5 per cent to £9m - a figure exceeding the company's expectations - against £8m for the previous year.

Visitor numbers across the group's 22 attractions in eight countries were in excess of 5m during the period.

Merlin chief executive, Nick Varney, said: These are great figures and prove once again Merlin's skill in identifying and developing highly cost-effective family attractions in prime locations across Europe.

Developments in 2002 included the opening of the Helsinki and Dortmund Sea Life Centres - the latter a mobile aquarium which has reportedly been breaking all visitor records - and of a new water ride at the Hamburg Dungeon.

New for 2003 are Sea Life Centres in Speyer, near Heidelberg - which opened in April to visitor numbers exceeding targets - and in Berlin, which is scheduled to open in December. A third German site is also planned for 2003/4.

Additionally this year, June will see the opening of the company's first Dungeon Shop of Horrors, located at the London Dungeon and presented as a self-standing retail outlet. Varney said the company hopes to extend the shop concept to other locations in the future.

New exhibitions for 2003 will also be opened across many of Merlin's sites, including the Great Plague at London and the Witch Trials at York.

Merlin operates 16 Sea Life centres across the UK and Europe, seal sanctuaries in Cornwall, Scotland and Norfolk and Dungeons in London, York, Edinburgh and Hamburg. Details: www.merlinentertainments.biz