One of the leading mobile network operators and mobile phone carriers operating in the United Kingdom, Vodafone has reportedly claimed to have emerged as the strongest growing mobile operator in the country.

However, its reported failures at the business in Ireland and Southern Europe has forced the company to fake an impairment cost of more than GBP 6 billion.

Vodafone said alongside striking a 9.5 per cent surge in group pre tax profits to GBP 9.5 billion that the growth of its operations in the United Kingdom had leaped a head of competitor O2 in the first quarter of the year, for the first time in many years.

The group said that its mobile service revenues in the United Kingdom had risen by 5.8 per cent to GBP 1.25 billion in its quarter four, compared to O2's 3.6 per cent growth and Everything Everywhere's 0.4 per cent growth.

A spokesman of Vodafone said that its performance in the United Kingdom has been driven by a crucial increase in the contract customers of its, which witnessed the adding up of 991,000 customers over the year.

In 2010-11 the total revenues at Vodafone had risen to GBP 45.89 billion (by 3.2 per cent), lifted by sturdy performance in Asia-Pacific, the MiddleEast and Africa.