UK shoppers cut spending amid pressure on Bank of England over inflation

Sales volumes fell across food and non-food items such as clothing in April. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Consumers are cutting back on purchases amid growing pressure on the Bank of England to tame inflation.

Retail sales increased 5.2% on a like-for-like basis in April compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data from the British Retail Consortium and the consultancy KPMG.