The latest report from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that retail sales in the UK saw growth for the third month in a row and at their strongest pace for more than a year.

The CBI said that sales figures had exceeded expectations, with further growth anticipated next month.

"It's encouraging to see the high street on the road to recovery, with particularly strong growth from furniture and carpet retailers, department stores and recreational goods," said Barry Williams, who chairs the CBI survey panel and is a senior executive at Asda.

"But the retail sector is not out of the woods yet with consumer confidence still fragile despite the rise in spending," he added.