Poor consumer confidence is being blamed for a slowdown in retail sales during April, according to the British Retail Consortium.
Like-for-like sales slipped by 4.7 per cent against the same month in 2004, although this is partly due to the earlier fall of Easter in March this year.
The BRC said the slump was the biggest recorded since its records began in 1995.
Kevin Hawkins, director general of the BRC said the figures were worse than expected.
The fall followed a 1.8 per cent growth in sales in March, although Easter played a key role in that rise.
Hawkins said: “The 4.7 per cent figure is worse than anyone expected, and the worse since the mid-1990s.”
He said trade had worsened in most categories of high street sales.
The figures come a day after the Bank of England decided to keep interest rates on hold at 4.75 per cent, but Hawkins is now calling on the Bank to consider a cut.
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