Retail sales fell as Budget worries hit spending

Retail sales fell last month as shoppers held back on spending ahead of the Budget, according to official figures.Sales volumes fell by 0.7% in October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, with clothing stores having a "notably poor" month.Speculation over which taxes might be increased ahead of last month's Budget has been blamed as a reason why households and businesses were more reluctant to make…