It is one of the odder side-effects of the smoking bans in Britain’s pubs, but it appears that someone is missing even the residue of nicotine and tar and other detritus left by the evil weed. Shares in Johnson Service Group were under pressure yesterday after the company said that first-half profits at its dry-cleaning business had fallen by 28 per cent because of the impact of the pub smoking ban.

The group, which operates more than 500 stores under the Johnson Cleaners and Jeeves of Belgravia brands, described trading as difficult but said that it expected an improvement in the division’s performance in the present half-year. Underlying profits at its dry-cleaning business fell to £1.8 million from £2.5 million last year. Overall, the group, which also operates textile rental and facilities management businesses, reported an interim pretax loss of £7.5 million. Johnson also announced the appointment of three main divisional heads. Its shares, which were hammered last year amid profit warnings, fell 1p to 21p.

Oxford BioMedica fell 1p to 10p after results from a small, early stage trial of ProSavin, its experimental Parkinson’s disease treatment, failed to impress. Petra Diamonds was ½p lower at 106½p after agreeing to buy a 75 per cent interest in the Williamson diamond mine in Tanzania for $10 million (£5.7 million) from De Beers.

Discover Leisure slipped 1½p to 2.375p after the caravan retailer gave warning that annual profits would be materially below market expectations and that it expected difficult trading conditions to continue.

SPI Lasers, the fibre-optic laser engineer, rose 8½p to 38½p after agreeing a 40p-a-share cash offer from Trumpf International, which values the company at £27.8 million.

Explore Markets

• United States

• Europe

• Japan

• China

• Russia

• The Gulf

• India

• Africa

Times Recommends

• Lies and cover-up at MG Rover exposed by report
• High oil prices push manufacturing costs up
• Primark founder steps down as chief executive