Mitie has announced that “Brexit jitters” have taken a toll on business as clients delay or cancel contracts due to uncertainty regarding the referendum outcome and its aftermath.

The outsourcing giant, who provides a wide range of services from pest control and cleaning to government detention centres and care services, saw its profits more than double in the year leading up to March 2016.

The company’s profit rose by 133 per cent to £96.8m, but profits had previously been expected to hit £105.2. During the same period of time, Mitie’s total revenue fell by 1.8 percent to £2.23bn, below the £2.29bn forecasted.

According to Mitie, “In the second half of the year, our markets experienced general uncertainty, following the government’s decision to hold a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. Together, these factors combined to cause a number of our clients to either delay or cancel projects until after the referendum.”

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