Retail sales up

Retail sales up

Retail sales grew at their fastest rate in more than three years in February, as the drier weather coaxed shoppers back out onto the High Street.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said like-for-like retail sales were up 2.7% on the previous year.

It said customer demand for electrical goods was the "growth engine" of the High Street.

The latest data will allow retailers a sigh of relief, after recent reports suggested the UK might be on the brink of another recession.

Food sales were up by 1%, despite the horse meat scandal which threatened to affect the big supermarkets.

The BRC figures contrasted with a recent CBI survey which reported that food stores suffered their worst performance for five years in February.