GREATER optimism among the local business community helped First Trust Bank to profits of £34.9 million sterling last year, compared with £26.9 million in 1994.

The bank has been in business for just two years after being formed from the takeover of TSB (Northern Ireland) by AIB. It has 81 branches employing around 1,500 staff.

First Trust said the increase in pre tax profits reflected the growth of its lending and deposit business, and tighter cost control.

During last year it completed a £10 million investment programme in new technology, and restructure its corporate and commercial divisions.

Managing director Mr Dan Harvey said that the staff had shown themselves to be committed to the development of First Trust as a strong financial player in the Northern Ireland market. He said that people now looked on banking not just as a financial service, but, also as a retail service.

"Delivering a quality service will be the key to the future growth and profitability of the bank," he said. "We have to make the customer come to us, and we must offer an increasing diversity of services to attract them.