City Investors Bank On £55m RBS Branch Payout

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

A consortium of City investors vying to buy 315 branches from Royal Bank of Scotland is in line to receive £55m in annual interest payments from the state-backed lender - even before they complete a deal.

Under the proposal W&G Investments, a vehicle set up by the former Tesco finance director Andy Higginson, would be paid a 5% "coupon" on a £1.1bn down-payment to acquire the branch network.

The payments would be made by RBS during the period between it agreeing to sell the branches to W&G and the completion of a deal, which analysts expect could take as long as two years.

If it takes longer, RBS could have to pay an even bigger sum to the consortium.

The details are disclosed in a document published on Friday by W&G, which will formally list on London's junior AIM stock market next week.

It marks the latest stage of RBS's protracted efforts to offload the business, codenamed Project Rainbow, under the orders of the European Commission in return for the banks's £45bn taxpayer bailout in 2008.

Santander pulled out of a deal to buy the RBS branches

RBS wants to revive the venerable banking brand-name Williams & Glyn to entice bidders and has granted W&G Investments a licence to use the name during the auction.

The admission documents include, however, dozens of risk factors that could inhibit a takeover of the branches by W&G, which is backed by leading investors such as Lansdowne Partners, Schroders, Talisman and Toscafund.

The potential barriers to a successful acquisition of Rainbow include the greater scrutiny of bank bosses by financial regulators and the drawn-out nature of a deal.

W&G said: "During the period between the Signing Date and the Completion Date, which is anticipated by RBSG to be approximately two years, it is expected that the Company [W&G] will have rights to monitor the performance of the Rainbow Assets.

"However... the Company may not have the ability or right to intervene and the value of the Rainbow Assets may be materially adversely impacted."

It also pointed to the ongoing review of Britain's small business banking market by the Office of Fair Trading, which it said could jeopardise investors' willingness to back a deal.

And it said adverse customer reaction to a takeover could put at risk the bank's desired funding model.

It said: "The currently anticipated funding model for Rainbow is dependent on deposits, rather than wholesale funding.

"There is a risk that there may be adverse public reaction to the Company post acquisition of Rainbow which could lead to depositors withdrawing their money.

"Certain customers and depositors may seek to change banks if they perceive the Separation or the acquisition of Rainbow by the Company might put their money at risk.

"This could result in a funding gap that would need to be addressed by accessing funding in the wholesale markets (provided that such funding were to be available) which is likely to be a more expensive form of funding for the Company than deposit-based funding."

W&G also warns in the documents that the recommendations of the Vickers Commission on banking reform could scupper a deal because of moves to force banks to make themselves safer by ring-fencing retail activities from investment banking operations.

Although the RBS network falls within the permissible limit of £25bn of deposits to avoid having to be treated as a ring-fenced bank, the W&G directors point to uncertainty over the legislation as another risk.

It said: "The draft secondary legislation to the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Bill provides that the requirement to ring-fence will not apply to UK banks holding less than £25,000,000,000 in 'core deposits'. At this stage it is unclear what the finalised threshold will be and therefore whether Rainbow would be a ring-fenced bank."

An earlier deal to sell the network, which comprises all RBS-branded branches in England and NatWest branches in Scotland, fell through last year when Santander UK pulled out citing concerns about IT systems.

Santander had initially agreed to pay £1.65bn for the branches, which include £19bn of assets, 250,000 small business customers and approximately 5,000 staff.

The rival bidders remaining in the RBS auction include a private equity bid from Corsair Capital and Centerbridge that is backed by the Church of England's pension fund, and one led by Blackstone, the US private equity group.

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Mortgages 'Most Affordable For 14 Years'

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

Mortgages are more affordable now than at any time in the past 14 years, according to the latest figures.

Monthly payments now account for 27% of a new borrower's income in the second quarter of 2013, well below the average for the past 30 years.

Lower house prices and reduced mortgage interest rates have been the main drivers behind the significant improvement in affordability, according to the Halifax.

Halifax mortgage director Craig McKinlay said: "Substantial mortgage rate reductions and lower house prices have led to a significant improvement in mortgage affordability since the peak of the housing market six years' ago.

"The Funding for Lending Scheme has helped lenders to cut mortgage rates causing a further modest improvement in affordability over the past year despite the modest rise in house prices nationally."

It is good news for first-time buyers.

James Almond from Bramhall near Stockport has just got on to the properly ladder.

The 38-year-old bar manager said he felt the right deals were available to take the plunge.

He said: "I used a mortgage broker to look at the best deals and in the end it was quite affordable.

"Many of my friends aren't so lucky and are still living with their parents because the deposits required are so large."

But there remains a clear north-south divide when it comes to mortgage affordability, according to the Halifax.

Mortgage payments are at their lowest in Northern Ireland where they are just 17% of incomes compared to 36% in Greater London.

Independent mortgage consultant Richard Ignatowicz said the market can change quickly.

 "We can't just say mortgages are now more affordable than ever. It doesn't mean much in isolation.

"Borrowers need to be cautious about changes on the horizon. Will they still be able to afford a mortgage when the rate reverts to 5%? Tthat's the real question."

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Summer Sun Fuels UK Spending Spree

Retail sales rose at their fastest annual pace for over two years in July as the UK basked in summer sunshine.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the heatwave boosted sales of barbeque food and outdoor items in particular as people enjoyed the spell of warm weather nationwide.

Retail sales volumes jumped 1.1% on the month - almost twice as fast as expected - to give an annual rise of 3%, the highest since January 2011.

Feedback from supermarkets suggested the sunshine also sparked demand for food, alcohol and summer clothing, the ONS said.

A separate report by the British Retail Consortium had already found that the 'feelgood factor' of the weather was also strengthened by the arrival of the Royal baby and sporting success - namely wins for the British and Irish Lions in Australia, Andy Murray at Wimbledon and Chris Froome in the Tour de France.

The BRC pointed to the best July since 2006 for its members - mostly larger stores - with sales values up 3.9% on the year.

The performance - potentially boosted by families choosing to remain in the UK over the holiday season - gives some scope to the possibility that economic growth is improving faster than expected.

The retail sector accounts for 6% of the UK's economy but some economists question whether the level of spending can be maintained given the continuing squeeze on household incomes from wage growth failing to keep pace with rising prices.

New Bank of England governor Mark Carney has sought to reassure consumers, markets and businesses, that the base rate of interest will not be raised until the unemployment rate drops to 7%.

The bank does not expect that to happen for three years - giving potential encouragement to people to spend what spare cash they have because savings rates are so poor.

While a third consecutive month of rising retail sales is the latest sign that Britain's recovery is gathering pace, there has also been robust data from the wider services sector as well as upbeat figures from manufacturing and construction.

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Facebook Tests Tool To Make Mobile Payments

Facebook plans to test a new service aimed at making it easier for users to make purchases on their mobile devices.

The social networking site is exploring ways to allow people to make purchases with just their Facebook login on partnering e-commerce mobile apps.

The service would use payment information that shoppers store on Facebook to automatically complete checkout forms of certain apps.

The app would then handle the payment processing, not Facebook.

Facebook confirmed in a statement that it was working on a "very small test" designed to "make it easier and faster for people to make a purchase in a mobile app by simply pre-populating your payment information".

But the company said there was no timetable for making the service available to its customers.

If rolled out, the new payment system would pit Facebook in direct competition with PayPal, as well as e-commerce firms like Braintree.

News of the test hit PayPay's shares

Spokeswoman Tera Randall said in a statement that Facebook has a "great relationship with PayPal, and this product is simply to test how we can help our app partners provide a more simple commerce experience".

The test, she added, would not involve moving payment processing "away from an app's current payments provider, such as PayPal".

Nonetheless, shares of PayPal's owner, eBay Inc fell on news of the potential competition. The stock closed down $1.05, or 1.9%, at $53.18.

Facebook's stock closed down nine cents at $36.56.

Forrester Research analyst Denee Carrington believes Facebook will face an uphill challenge in offering mobile payments even though the company has been building up its database of users' credit cards.

"Consumers want safe, seamless and convenient mobile payments and there are a growing number of competitors that consumers trust more - such as PayPal, Visa (V.me) and others," he said.

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Eurozone Out Of Recession As Economy Grows

The eurozone has moved out of recession as its economy grew by 0.3% in the second quarter.

It means the struggling area has finally emerged from its longest recession to date.

The eurozone saw slightly faster then expected growth, with its two largest economies leading the way.

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, expanded by 0.7% in the period from April to June, after GDP stagnated in the first quarter.

France saw its strongest quarterly growth in two years as its economy increased by 0.5%, while Portugal boasted a rapid rise of 1.1%.

The official figures confirmed expectations that a fragile recovery is underway, however some countries saw contraction.

In Spain GDP fell by 0.1%, while Italy and the Netherlands both dropped by 0.2%.

The data from Eurostat, the European Union's statistics office, showed that collectively the 17 EU countries saw the first quarterly growth since the eurozone slipped into recession in the final quarter of 2011.

Lasting six quarters, it was the longest recession to hit the eurozone following the launch of the single currency in 1999.

The quarterly improvement was slightly better than the 0.2% market expectations.

But despite the expansion, the eurozone economy remains 0.7% smaller than it was in the same period last year.

Following the news EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said: "A sustained recovery is now within reach but only if we persevere on all fronts of our crisis response."

The area now faces a recovery tainted by record high unemployment and severe austerity measures in countries such as Greece.

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JP Morgan: Charges Over $6bn 'London Whale'

Officials in the United States have charged two ex-JP Morgan traders over the so-called 'London Whale' scandal that resulted in losses of $6.2bn (£4bn).

Prosecutors in Manhattan accused former London-based traders Julien Grout, 35, and Javier Martin-Artajo, 49, of wire fraud and a conspiracy to falsify books and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records, according to court papers.

The charges are the result of an investigation into events surrounding the losses in the London division of JP Morgan's chief investment office.

"This was not a 'tempest in a teapot', but rather a perfect storm of individual misconduct and inadequate internal controls," prosecutor Preet Bharara said at a news conference on Wednesday.

The case, filed in federal court, claims Grout and Martin-Artajo deliberately tried to hide hundreds of millions of dollars in losses on trades in a portfolio of synthetic credit derivatives.

The charges focus on investments whose components were supposed to be marked at their market value each day as best as the bankers could approximate.

The mounting loss eventually topped $6bn and was attributed to trader Bruno Iksil, who was dubbed the 'London Whale' for his location and the super-sized bets he made.

Prosecutors confirmed that they had agreed not to prosecute Mr Iksil but the deal requires him to cooperate fully with officials.

The charges say that from March to May 2012, following Martin-Artajo's direction, Grout began using prices for the portfolio "deliberately chosen to minimise losses rather than represent fair value," the SEC said.

Lawyers for both men have previously stated that their clients did nothing wrong.

A JP Morgan spokesman declined to comment on the case.

It is understood that Spanish national Martin-Artajo supervised JP Morgan's trading strategy in London while his French colleague recorded the value of any bad investments.

Mr Bharara said his office had contacted the two men's lawyers.

"We are hopeful they will do the right thing and present themselves in the United States," he said.

The prosecutor added that it was a "rare" non-prosecution deal for Mr Iksil, who is no longer a trader.

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Cold Winter Boosts E.On Profits By 15%

Profits at energy firm E.on surged by almost 15% in the first half of the year, boosted by the cold start to 2013.

The company, one of the so-called "big six" UK energy suppliers, said it made £273m in the first six months of 2013.

This is an increase of 14.7% on the same period in 2012.

E.On insisted its profit margin was on a similar level to the previous year despite a rise to 6.25% from 5.97%.

It was the last of the major players in the market to hike its bills - by an average 8.7% - having pledged to keep its pricing on hold during 2012.

UK boss Tony Cocker insists E.On's bills are fair

The industry has blamed price increases largely on soaring wholesale prices and none of the top six firms has been able to rule out further rises to bills ahead of the coming winter.

E.On, which has around five million customers in the UK, has insisted it does not make excessive profits.

While its UK business saw profits grow 15%, the E.On group suffered a 15% fall in earnings for the half year.

UK chief executive Tony Cocker said: "We are continuing to work hard for our customers, make improvements to service and operate a sustainable business that delivers a fair profit.

"The colder start to the year meant more energy has been used, so sales are up; the costs we control have come down at a time when those we don't control are continuing to rise; meaning that ultimately whilst our profit has increased slightly our overall supply profit margin is very much in line with last year.

"Our absolute focus remains on simplifying our products, improving our customer service and, quite simply, making sure we do the right thing."

He concluded: "The proof of all the changes we've made is evident in improving customer feedback."

The energy regulator Ofgem recently revealed that the "big six", which also include British Gas, nPower, SSE, EDF and Scottish Power, collectively made more than £3bn in profits over the last three years on the back of a £300 annual rise in bills.

Last month, nPower estimated that bills would increase by a further £240 by 2020 - £100 more than the Government's estimates.

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US Airways-American Airlines Merger Challenged

The US Justice Department and a number of state attorneys general have challenged the proposed $11bn (£7bn) merger between US Airways and American Airlines.

The Justice Department says the merger would result in the creation of the world's largest airline and reduce competition for commercial air travel in local markets.

A lawsuit filed in the federal court in Washington seeks to prevent the companies from making the deal in order to preserve head-to-head competition.

In a joint statement, the airlines said they would "mount a vigorous defence" of the planned merger, adding that blocking the deal would "deny customers access to a broader airline network that gives them more choices".

"We believe that the DOJ is wrong in its assessment of our merger," the statement read.

American Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection in 2011

"Integrating the complementary networks of American and US Airways to benefit passengers is the motivation for bringing these airlines together."

"We will mount a vigorous defence and pursue all legal options in order to achieve this merger and deliver the benefits of the new American to our customers and communities as soon as possible."

Shares of both companies plunged on Tuesday, and other airline shares fell sharply as well.

In February, the two airlines disclosed their plans to create a company with 6,700 daily flights and annual revenue of roughly $40bn (£26bn).

But Attorney General Eric Holder said the transaction between US Airways and American would result in "higher airfares, higher fees and fewer choices".

Were the deal to be approved, the four biggest US airlines - American, United, Delta and Southwest - would all be the products of mergers that began in 2008.

Last year, business and leisure airline travellers spent more than $70bn (£45bn) on airfare for travel throughout the United States.

American parent AMR Corp has cut costs and debt since it filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2011.

Pilots from both airlines have agreed on steps that should make it easier to combine their groups under a single labour contract, a big hurdle in many airline mergers.

The attorneys general were from Arizona, Florida, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

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Rail Fare Protests As Charges Set To Increase

Thousands of people are set to protest at 50 stations across the UK against the rapid rise of rail fares compared to the average earnings.

Passengers will learn how much more they will be paying from next January when inflation figures are released later.

Analysts predict the latest RPI figure - which is used to calculate next year's rail fare rise - will be 3.3%.

This would see regulated rail fares increasing by 4.3% in January, well above average wage rises.

Campaigners claim train fares have risen three times faster than wages in the last six years.

The next price hike will be the sixth time in seven years that rail fares have outstripped wages, they say.

Between 2008 and next January rail fares will have jumped by 40%, compared with a 15% increase in average earnings, it is claimed.

Prostest are planned at 50 stations including Birmingham New Street

The TUC warned some season tickets could rise by 9%, against forecasts of a 2.4% increase in average earnings next year.

The union said rail privatisation was costing taxpayers £1.2bn a year despite "minimal" investment in trains and stations.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Every year hard-pressed rail commuters have to hand over an ever greater share of their earnings just to get to and from work.

"Wage-busting fare rises are not even going on much needed service improvements either. Instead, passenger and public subsidies are lining the pockets of the shareholders of private rail companies."

The TUC and the Action for Rail campaign group have planned a series of demonstrations at stations including Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle Central and London's Paddington and Victoria.

Stephen Joseph, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: "Getting to work is now the biggest single monthly outgoing for many commuters - more than food, more than housing.

"One of the surest ways of stamping on any green shoots of recovery is to price people off the trains and out of the jobs market. For the sake of the economy, we should end above-inflation fare increases now and start planning for fare reductions."

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "The Government is investing record amounts into our railways, which will help deliver economic growth, improve performance and significantly boost passenger capacity.

"However, we also recognise it is tough for passengers. That is why we are already limiting these rises by capping the average regulated fares increase at 1% in real terms and will be announcing further measures to ensure greater fairness on fares for passengers later this year."

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Housing Market Recovery 'Round The Corner'

House prices have risen at their fastest pace since 2006 sparked by a rising demand for property across the country.

According to the latest housing market report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) there are signs a recovery is "round the corner".

The West Midlands and the North East, areas which Rics said have "suffered more than most" since the market crash, experienced the biggest increases in buyer activity in July.

And growth in buyer numbers was seen across the UK as the upswing in activity, which has been particularly concentrated in London and the South East, spread outwards.

Around 53% more surveyors reported increases rather than falls in demand.

As buyer numbers strengthened, prices rose across the country for the fourth month in a row, growing at their fastest rate since the market peak of November 2006, Rics said.

Looking ahead, a balance of 35% more surveyors expect prices to continue their increase rather than fall, while 53% more surveyors expect sales to rise over the next three months.

Peter Bolton King, Rics global residential director, said: "It is clearly good news that those parts of the property market that were struggling are at last showing some signs of life."

Lenders, estate agents and property websites have been reporting big uplifts in activity this year following the launch of various Government schemes to unblock the housing market.

More first-time buyers have been seen entering the market and sellers also appear to be more confident about sticking close to their asking prices amid improved mortgage availability.

But fears have been raised that the initiatives must not lead to a property bubble.

Particular concerns have been raised about a Government scheme called Help to Buy, which will underwrite £130bn of low-deposit mortgage lending with state guarantees from next year.

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RBS Sell-Off Unlikely Until 2018 - Cable

Business Secretary Vince Cable has signalled that the Government is unlikely to sell its stake in Royal Bank of Scotland for another five years.

Mr Cable claimed it was "pretty unrealistic" to expect the bailed-out bank to be back in private ownership before the current parliament ends in 2015.

And the senior Lib Dem went on to suggest that the Government would probably retain its 82% stake for most of the next parliament.

"I don't think it would be sensible for the Government to set a rigid timetable, but given where we start from I think it is pretty unrealistic to think of RBS going back into private ownership this Parliament or probably within five years," he told The Sunday Telegraph.

His comments conflict with remarks by David Cameron, who earlier this year said the holding should be sold "as soon as possible".

'Pretty unrealistic': Vince Cable

RBS chairman Sir Philip Hammond has also suggested the sale process could start as early as next year.

It indicates the two coalition parties will go into the next general election with different visions about how and when RBS will return to the private sector.

The Government spent £45bn on keeping RBS afloat in 2008 in the wake of the financial crisis, buying shares at 502p each. After Friday trading, the price was 325.6p.

The prospect of a lengthy spell in private ownership will increase the pressure on the bank to be broken up.

Assets such as Ulster Bank and the RBS commercial property book, which is worth £63bn, could be hived off and recapitalised separately.

Investment bank Rothschild has been tasked with reviewing whether the 81% state-owned lender should be split into a "good" and "bad" bank.

Mr Cable said: "I think there is a very strong argument for saying that the bank got too big and indeed that was the source of its undoing.

"But we are having to balance the benefits of breaking up the bank (and) the potential benefits for competition (with) the significant costs, particularly in terms of disrupting IT systems.

"My colleagues in the Treasury are doing very detailed work on that cost-benefit calculation, because there is no simple yes or no answer."

Asked if RBS would be better as a UK-focused retail and corporate bank, he added: "The Chancellor and I have the same view about this. We are not nationalists and of course there is an argument for international banking.

"But we do need to have strong UK banks, particularly supporting our business community. At the moment that market does not function well."

If the Government does keep its stake in RBS for longer, it would be able to increase pressure on the bank to lend more.

Speculation about the company's future has intensified after it announced earlier this month that it had returned to profit.

The firm made a half-year pre-tax profit of £1.37bn, compared to a £1.68bn loss in the same period last year, and has now seen its first two quarters of consecutive growth since the crash.

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Fracking Must Be Accepted By Britain, Says PM

David Cameron says the country should accept fracking, claiming the controversial method of extracting gas will attract "real public support" when the benefits are explained.

The Prime Minister said the process would not damage the countryside and cause only "very minor change to the landscape".

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Cameron said: "I want all parts of our nation to share in the benefits: north or south, Conservative or Labour."

He added: "If neighbourhoods can really see the benefits - and get proper reassurance about the environment - then I don't see why fracking shouldn't get real public support."

Mr Cameron has written in support of the controversial fracking method

The intervention follows comments from former Government adviser Lord Howell of Guildford, the father-in-law of Chancellor George Osborne, who suggested that fracking should be confined to "desolate" areas of northern England.

Fracking - the process of extracting gas by the hydraulic fracturing of rock using high pressure liquid - has transformed the energy market in the US.

It has cut costs for households and businesses, and ministers hope for a similar effect in the UK.

The PM said it has "real potential to drive energy bills down" and insisted the Government was not "turning our back" on a low carbon generation but needed to secure a mix of energy sources.

In an effort to persuade communities of the benefits of fracking, firms will offer £100,000 of benefits for each exploratory well.

Anti-fracking protester in Balcombe, West Sussex

Mr Cameron added: "Companies have agreed to pay £100,000 to every community situated near an exploratory well ... If shale gas is then extracted, 1% - perhaps as much as £10m - will go straight back to residents."

He sought to play down fears about the environmental dangers posed by fracking, claiming there was "no evidence" that it would cause contamination of water supplies or other damage if properly regulated.

Last week Mr Cameron said Britain would be "making a big mistake" if it did not seriously consider fracking and the prospect of cheaper gas prices.

The village of Balcombe in West Sussex has become the focal point of anti-fracking protests as energy company Cuadrilla attempts to drill there.

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Apple Wins Samsung Patent Case In US

Apple has won the latest victory in a long and bitter global battle with Samsung over alleged patent infringement.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) found Samsung was in violation of two patents and banned American imports of some of its devices.

However, the ban is currently on hold because US President Barack Obama has 60 days to review the decision and could veto it.

Just days ago, the Obama administration overturned an ITC ruling from June that would have banned the sales of some older iPhones and iPads in the US for violating Samsung patents.

Letting the ban on Samsung devices stand after having so recently intervened in the Apple case could spur allegations of favouritism towards the Californian company.

Samsung's Galaxy 4 (front) and Apple's iPhone 5

The South Korean firm was cleared of infringing four other patents involved in the dispute, which has deepened as competition between the two firms intensifies.

Apple claims Samsung's Android phones copy vital iPhone features but the rival has fought back with its own complaints.

It has recently cut into Apple's market share and is now the leading smartphone manufacturer, as well as having growing success with its Android tablet computers.

The legal cases typically involve older products that are no longer widely sold but a victory could affect future features and therefore slow down a rival's momentum.

Apple could also seek to ban imports of phones released since the case was filed in 2011.

The so-called 'Steve Jobs patent' was one of those upheld

Samsung spokesman Adam Yates said the company was disappointed but vowed it would continue to release new products.

He added that measures had been taken to ensure they would continue to be available in the US.

Apple said in a statement that the ITC "has joined courts around the world in Japan, Korea, Germany, Netherlands and California by standing up for innovation and rejecting Samsung's blatant copying of Apple's products."

It continued: "Protecting real innovation is what the patent system should be about."

The patents supported by the ITC ruling included the so-called "Steve Jobs patent" which relates to the use of touchscreens, and one covering the audio socket.

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High Street Housing Plans Come Under Fire

Store Vacancies Hit New High Level

Updated: 11:50am UK, Monday 20 May 2013

A surge in shopping centre vacancies means almost one in every eight British stores is now empty, according to a new survey.

Empty shops now account for 11.9% of retail space, after failures including Comet and Jessops knocked holes in the shopping hubs and out-of-town retail parks.

The percentage of UK shop vacancies in April worsened from 10.9% in January and was the highest rate since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard survey began in 2011.

It said high streets have been "vastly outperforming" malls and retail parks, boosted by a 5% increase in evening drinkers, diners and clubbers.

The retail sector has been battered by a wave of failures this year, with entertainment retailer HMV and camera chain Jessops both entering administration in January.

Electricals retailer Comet slumped into administration in November.

BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: "It's a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers."

But rising temperatures lifted April footfall 1% on a year earlier, a marked improvement on the 5.2% fall in March, as more shoppers ventured out compared with a rainy April 2012.

Ms Dickinson added: "The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance."

High street footfall was up 3.4%, the strongest performance since December 2011, but shopping centre visitors fell 3%.

Greater London was the strongest-performing region with footfall rising 4.2% and just 7.4% of its shops vacant.

Footfall in Northern Ireland slumped 6.4% in April, while its shop vacancy rate hit 18.1%. In Wales, shoppers were down 2.1%, with a vacancy rate of 17.9%.

The South West saw footfall slide 1.3% and shop vacancies hit 14%.

The UK's surging vacancy rate follows recent downbeat sales figures from the BRC, which showed retail sales slumped at the fastest rate for a year in April as the timing of Easter and a freezing start to the month offset improvements in fashion and beauty.

Like-for-like sales fell 2.2% in April from a year earlier, with the early Easter hitting food sales in particular, it said.

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