UK retail sales growth slowed sharply last month as fears over government spending cuts saw consumers focus on essential purchases, according to figures out yesterday. The British Retail Consortium said retail sales grew 0.5 per cent on a like-for-like basis in July - a steep fall from the 1.2 per cent hike in June and the worst reading since April. Non-food sales were the worst impacted, with cautious shoppers shunning so-called big-ticket items and homewares.