BOOMING demand from China helped drive a record £1.5bn profit at resurgent luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover.

The Midlands-based manufacturer, which is owned by Indian company Tata Motors, reported a 35% rise in earnings for the year to the end of March, boosted by strong demand for its Range Rover Evoque.

Sales in China showed strong growth and now account for nearly one in five of the cars sold by JLR. Total sales were up by 29% to a record 314,433 vehicles.