Balfour chief joins Hanson's board

Balfour Beatty chief executive Mike Welton will join Hanson as a non-executive director on 4 January 2005.

Hanson chairman said: "We are delighted that Mike Welton has agreed to join the board in January. He will add strength to the team."

Hanson's operating profit in the UK slid from £60m to £43m in the first half of this year. The group reported that "the market for aggregates and building products has been relatively subdued".