Carillion profit up on bidding activity

LONDON (Reuters) - Building and support services group Carillion (CLLN.L) met forecasts with a 59 percent rise in first-half profit on Thursday, driven by high bidding activity in its main markets, and said it expects to make strong progress in 2008.

The company posted 53.6 million pounds in underlying profit before tax for the six months to end-June, compared with 33.8 million a year ago and a mean forecast of 52.95 million in a Reuters Estimates poll of four analysts.

(Reporting by Marc Roca)