Mubasher: The UK’s retail sales fell more than expected in December, pushing the full year’s sales growth down to the lowest rate since 2013.

Sales dropped 1.5% in December, compared with a 1% decline in November, data by the UK’s office for national statistics (ONS) showed on Friday.

Economists had expected a decline of 0.8% in December.

The full year’s sales, however, grew by 1.3% in 2017, but that was the smallest gain since 2013.

By 10:07 am GMT, the GBP/USD pair rose 0.10% to $1.3908.