Shopping splurge

FAMILIES splashed out on garden furniture, summer clothes, picnics and barbecues last month as the sunshine and royal wedding gave beleaguered shopkeepers a lift.

A report by the British Retail Consortium showed total sales rose 4.1pc in May compared to the year before – the biggest increase since January 2014. Food sales rose at the sharpest rate since July 2013 as business was boosted by two bank holiday weekends as well as the weekend of the royal wedding and FA Cup Final.

Pubs also enjoyed roaring trade, according to a separate report from Barclaycard.