High St month of woe

THE high street had its most dismal September for more than 20 years.

Total retail sales fell by 1.3%, compared to a 0.7% annual increase in September 2018.

And last month was the worst September for stores since records began back in 1995, said the British Retail Consortium.

Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said: “With the spectre of a no-deal [Brexit] weighing increasingly on consumer purchasing decisions, it is no surprise that sales growth has once again fallen into the red.”