UK government borrows record £62bn as high street feels strain of crisis

Consumer spending plummeted 18% in April revealing stark impact of coronavirus restrictions

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The government was forced to borrow a record 62bn to balance its books in April as the public finances felt the strain from a shutdown of the economy and an unprecedented 18% drop in high-street spending.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics highlighted the dramatic impact of the Covid-19 restrictions introduced in late March on activity, with public borrowing up by more than 50bn on the same month a year earlier and spending in clothes stores down by 50%.