There was further gloom on the UK high street as figures revealed an unexpected fall in sales last month after retailers suffered a snow-hit start to the year. Retail sales volumes fell 0.6% between December and January, in stark contrast to predictions that sales would rebound, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The ONS said the icy conditions hit many smaller food shops, with some forced to close as snow blanketed parts of Britain, pushing food sales volumes down 1.6%. The figures will reignite fears that the UK economy is on course for a triple-dip recession after the first estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) in the final three months of last year showed the economy contracted. | 
