Retail sales fell by 3.7% in December as omicron fears kept people away from the high street.

Latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows that sales at non-food stores fell by 7.1% following strong sales in November with the omicron variant, reported by some retailers as impacting retail footfall. But food sales were only down 1% in December.

Petrol sales also fell in December by 4.7% as increased home working reduced travel.

The proportion of retail sales online rose slightly to 26.6% in December 2021 from 26.3% in November, substantially higher than the 19.7% in February 2020 before the Covid-19 crisis.

Heather Bovill, ONS deputy director for surveys and economic indicators, said: "After strong pre-Christmas trading in November, retail sales fell across the board in December, with feedback from retailers suggesting Omicron impacted on footfall.

"As Plan B restrictions in England meant more people working from home, there was a notable fall for fuel sales.

"However, despite the fall in December, retail sales are still stronger than before the pandemic, with over a quarter of sales now made online."