UK retail sales increased by 0.8% in May compared to the same month last year, according to figures released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

The warm weather and the upcoming World Cup helped boost sales, with purchases of televisions seeing a marked increase.

However, Britons continued to be reluctant to buy big-ticket household items amid uncertainty about the scale of public spending cuts and tax rises that the government will enact to cut borrowing.

"Consumer confidence has clearly improved since last year's lows. But there's still plenty of uncertainty, which is making customers nervous about buying expensive goods, despite widespread reduction. This month's emergency budget should provide more clarity," said Stephen Robertson, BRC director general.