Tobacco giant BAT's profits slip 3%

British American Tobacco showed the impact of the strong pound on its British business today after profits for the first three months of the year slipped 3% to £454m (€381m).

The group, whose brands include Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall, said weakness in nearly all of its key currencies had offset a 5% improvement in volumes to 192 billion cigarettes.