The Co-operative Group has returned to the “Premier League” of retailing, its chief executive said on Monday, as it increased first-half profits 17 per cent, helped by the acquisition of Somerfield, the rival supermarket chain.

Peter Marks said overall food sales at the UK’s fifth-biggest grocer rose from £2.4bn to £3.9bn as like-for-like numbers, excluding fuel and VAT, increased 7.3 per cent, beating Tesco and matching Asda and Morrisons, the sector’s leading performers.