Halfords has issued a trading update for the first half of the fiscal year to September 29, showing sales increased by 9.3% over the equivalent period in 2005 and like-for-like sales increased by 6.5%.

Halfords says it has continued to deliver further significant reduction in the level of gross profit percentage dilution experienced last year.

Since announcing its share buy-back programme on June 8, Halfords has purchased 5,183,956 of its own shares for cancellation at a consideration, before costs, of £15,935,149, an average of 307.4 pence per share.

The trading update from Halfords comes in advance of publishing its interim results on November 23.