Shoppers rushing to pick up high-strength vacuum cleaners before an EU ban helped lift retail sales last month.

Store sales rose 3.9 per cent in August compared to a year ago, and edged up 0.4 per cent on July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The year-on-year increase is the 17th month in a row of consecutive year-on-year growth.

The ONS said "it would be true to say that the underlying picture is one of growth".

The star performers last month were household goods which lifted 12.7 per cent year-on-year as within this category furniture sales jumped 23.4 per cent, its largest growth since records began in 1988.

Electrical appliance stores also saw a spurt in sales, driven by an EU ruling which banned sales of vacuum cleaners with motors above 1,600 watts from September 1.

But sales pressure on retailers continued as prices in August fell by 1.2 per cent over the year, the largest fall since July 2009.