Commenting on the period under review, John Burns, chief executive of Derwent London, said: “Our continued strong letting performance demonstrates that our particular brand of design led, affordable space is in demand. Despite the difficult economic conditions, the group continues to maintain a low vacancy rate and to preserve income through active portfolio management. In recent months, there has been a substantial increase in investor demand, particularly for central London properties. We have taken advantage of this improved sentiment with sales of non-core, mature properties which has further strengthened our balance sheet. This puts us in an excellent position to act quickly either in developing opportunities from within our portfolio or to make acquisitions.”