Amazon has reported a strong first quarter with profits soaring 24 per cent to $177m (£121m).

Amazon’s international sales, including the UK, jumped 15 per cent to $2.31bn (£1.58bn) for the period. Excluding the impact of exchange rates, international sales rocketed 28 per cent.

Total sales across the group grew 18 per cent to $4.89bn (£3.34bn).

Amazon said sales in its second quarter could grow as much as 17 per cent compared with last year, with sales expected to reach between $4.3bn and $4.75bn (£2.94bn and £3.25bn).

The performance of its digital book reader Kindle in the US also helped boost sales, which shot up 21 per cent across the US and Canada in the quarter.

Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos said: “We’re grateful and excited that Kindle sales have exceeded our most optimistic expectations.”