Business News Tourists from China, the Middle East and the EU helped boost retail sales by 11.6 per cent higher in Central London than figures a year ago according to figures issued by the British Retail Consortium.
Retail footfall in May picked up to just above its year-earlier level, after a year-on-year decline in April. Special sales events and discounts helped attract shoppers into the capital.
Sterling's weakness continued to attract overseas visitors, especially from western Europe, China and the Middle East. Tourists began to return to the UK after the volcanic ash disruption eased.
Food sales strengthened again after Easter distortions had depressed sales in April. Non-food similarly picked up. Clothing, footwear and outdoor leisure were boosted by sunny weather.
Petraeus: Quran-burning harms troopsThe U.S. commander in Afghanistan criticized a U.S. church's plan to burn copies of the Quran on September 11, warning the event "could cause significant problems" for troops.
