Warm weather pushes up retail sales in Great Britain as people turn to outdoor goods

Rise of 0.3% in May comes as separate survey shows UK services company sales grew this month

Warmer weather and online bargains drove a surprise increase in retail sales in May after City forecasts predicted the cost of living crisis would persuade consumers to be more restrained.

Retail sales in Great Britain rose 0.3% last month after a 0.5% increase in April, continuing a bounce in spending since the beginning of the year that points to a return of consumer confidence after last September's disastrous mini-budget.