Dobbies Garden Centres Group recorded big losses for its last financial year, blaming the weather and inflation.

The retailer, which has stores in Cirencester, Gloucester and Tewkesbury and a Little Dobbies in Cheltenham, saw a pre-tax loss of £130.8m for the year to March 5, as reported by Retail Gazette.

The previous year had seen losses of £21.3m.

Sales fell by 8% from £303.6m to £278.7m, which it said was caused by the adverse weather in spring 2022, as well as the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis and inflation.

Going forward, Dobbies said it has repositioned the business with a focus on value.