Cold weather continued to hurt British retail sales in April, driving the biggest monthly drop in a year, official data showed on Wednesday. The Office for National Statistics said sales of barbecue food and garden furniture were hit in particular. Retail sales volumes including automotive fuel fell 1.3 percent in April from March, confounding economists' forecasts for flat sales. Compared with a year earlier, sales rose 0.5 percent, much less than expected. Sales of food plunged 4.1 percent on the month, its worst showing in almost two years. Consumer spending, which accounts for 60 percent of Britain's gross ... (full story)