BELFAST finance company Creation Consumer Finance made more than £20 million profit in 2015 - and claims its recovery was propelled by improving market confidence and a fall in the jobless rate.

The company, which offers personal loans as well as credit for larger purchases including furniture and cars on behalf of partners including DFS, Currys and Sony, has made its annual returns to Companies House in Belfast.

Although based in Solihull in the West Midlands area of England, its registered head office is at Royston House in Belfast.

The company's assets in 2015 were £1,183 million (up from £1,124 million), though its profit for the year, after taxation, dipped to £20.7m from £24m.

The directors of Creation Consumer Finance said: "We have seen a rise in the demand for consumer credit as the economy improves.

"There are significant uplifts in the home improvement loan and unsecured personal loan markets and the point-of-sales credit market continued to perform strongly.

This year the company will be further integrated into the personal finance division of BNP Paribas, the French multinational bank and financial services company with its global headquarters.

And Creation says it believes the enlarged group will "provide the support and expertise" to allow it to continue to develop in the UK consumer credit market.