May trading falls 2.5 per cent

The closely watched British Retail Consortium's monthly sales monitor is expected to confirm anecdotal reports that trading in May was dire.

Some analysts are predicting the monitor will show sales fell by 2.5 per cent on a like-for-like comparison with a year ago. BRC director Kevin Hawkins this weekend called on the Bank of England to offer 'the only possible remedy' by cutting base lending rates and reducing the pressure on household incomes.