Shops were given a surprisingly big boost in January as official figures showed retail sales rose by 1.7%.
Only a 0.3% rise had been forecast by economists polled by Reuters.
It follows a fall of 0.6% in the key shopping month of December, recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Money blog: What are your rights if you have bad phone signal?
Retail sales figures are significant as they measure household consumption, the largest expenditure across the UK economy.
Growing retail sales can mean economic growth, which the government has repeatedly said is its top priority.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
