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

Sluggish retail sales and credit card spending figures add to fears for British economy

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.