Retail sales surge poses interest rates dilemma for Bank of England

Spending splurge requires a central bank response - but what about the manufacturers battling to make headway against a rising pound?

For those economists itching for an interest rate rise, the latest retail sales figures arrived with exquisite timing.

After gorging on electrical goods on Black Friday, shoppers are looking to do more than deck the halls with boughs of holly this Christmas. Star Wars toys, it seems, are just an appetiser. And strong consumer demand needs a central bank response. And that response is higher interest rates.

Related: Black Friday discounts drive surprise rise in UK retail sales