The company predicts that 2004 will be a good year and outdoor advertising will be at the forefront of the recovery.

Maiden owns more than 32,000 out-of-door advertising boards in a sector that accounts for 8.6% of display advertising in Britain and is still growing.

Sector analysts are already predicting that growth in the last quarter of this year could already be 10% up on the same period last year.

Maiden chief executive Ron Zeghibe says: Im optimistic about the prospects for next year. Were taking eight week orders into January and February and thats a very good sign.

At its half-year results in September Maidens revenues for the six months to June were up 6% at 41.4m.