LONDON British retail sales volumes fell by a sharper than expected 0.9% in September compared with the month before, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast that sales volumes would fall by 0.2% on the month.

"Retailers reported that the fall over the month was because of continuing cost of living pressures, alongside the unseasonably warm weather reducing sales of autumn-wear clothing," the ONS said.

Compared with a year ago, sales volumes were down 1.0%, while sales in the third quarter overall - which had a weak start due to unusually wet weather in July - were 0.8% lower than in the quarter before.

British households have faced a cost-of-living squeeze over the past two years due to supply-chain difficulties and labour shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic, amplified by a surge in energy costs after Russia invaded Ukraine in October 2022.

While retail sales volumes surged in mid 2021 when shops fully reopened in Britain after COVID-19 restrictions, purchases have steadily fallen since and for the past year sales volumes have been below pre-pandemic levels.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William James)