Sales boost for London shops

Retailers in London's West End saw a 3.4 per cent rise in sales last month, according to the New West End Company, which represents 600 retailers in the area.

The year-on-year rise in the district, which features Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street, outstripped the 0.3 per cent rise seen across the UK. Separate figures from the Heart of London Business Alliance showed that food and beverage sales in the area were up 2.4 per cent last month.