UPDATE 1-Latchways posts lower H1 profit, says outlook tough

* Maintains interim dividend of 7.81 pence

* Sees good prospects in non-construction sector

* Says lower construction-related sales hurt H1 results

* Says construction sector to remain subdued

* H1 pretax profit down 26 pct to 3.6 mln stg

* H1 revenue down 14 pct (Adds details)

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Safety products and services firm Latchways Plc (LATC.L) reported a 26 percent fall in first-half pretax profit, hurt by lower construction-related sales in the UK, and said its short-term outlook for profit and revenue remained challenging.

"The construction sector, particularly in the UK, is likely to remain subdued for the immediate future, although specific local events such as the 2012 Olympics will help to mitigate this," the company said in a statement.

For the six months ended Sept. 30, Latchways earned 3.6 million pounds ($6.02 million) before taxes, compared with 4.9 million pounds in the year-ago period.