Norwich Union in York, headquarters for all the organisation's life policy and investment business, has never ridden higher.

The biggest private employer in the city has announced its highest quarterly results on record with total sales, including investments, for the first three months this year up 34 per cent to £3.2 billion.

The result earned praise for Norwich Union's 3,400 staff in York from Mark Hodges, the new chief executive of Norwich Union Life.

He said: "This is the fourth quarter of growth in a row and it is testimony to our teams all over the country, but particularly at head office in York. We have a great brand, we have sorted out some of the service issues reported last year, have good relations with our distribution networks and the UK savings market is improving.

"The result is an endorsement of York as our headquarters."

Adding to the growth spurt was Norwich Union's partnership with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. The total sales of £414 million were 92 per cent ahead of the first quarter of last year.

Of this, Norwich Union's share was £297 million - 118 per cent ahead of the first three months of 2005.

Individual pension sales, which include group personal pensions, were exceptionally strong - up 65 per cent to £1 billion (compared to £607 million in the first quarter last year).

Corporate pension sales were up 21 per cent to £271 million and bond sales soared by 27 per cent to £787 million.

The bonanza follows parent company Aviva announcing total worldwide sales of long- term savings and new business sales of £7.9 billion in the first three months to March 31 - an increase of 26 per cent over the same period last year.

Updated: 10:53 Friday, April 28, 2006