Confidence among UK consumers has fallen into negative territory for the first time since June 2020, according to a survey.
The Consumer Confidence Index from YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) fell by 4.2 points in August from 103.0 to 98.8, the largest decline since the early stages of the pandemic.
It comes as inflation, largely driven by energy price rises, piles pressure on consumers ahead of winter.