High Street sales continued to grow last month despite the rainy weather and distraction of the World Cup.

The monthly survey, by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and accountant KPMG, said like-for-like sales in June were four per cent ahead of June 2001 - which follows a 2.7 per cent jump in May's sales.

However the BRC said on a three-month basis the growth trend was slowing, down from 4.1 per cent in May to 3.1 per cent in June.

Its survey showed although some retailers had a slow month because of the poor weather, food and drink retailers and many London stores saw impressive sales growth during the Golden Jubilee week.

There were minor drops in sales in most stores during the days England played in the World Cup.

Mark Bradshaw, deputy director general of the BRC, said: "Despite the poor weather and the slight dent to some sectors caused by the World Cup, June saw a reasonable level of sales growth.

"However, the three-month trend has seen a fall. Consumers remain confident and that is being translated into prudent but positive spending."

Amanda Aldridge, head of retail at KPMG said clothing and footwear performed strongly during the month, despite some impact of bad weather, with denim and men's casual and sportswear the star performers.

Spending on the home has been generally strong with linens and silverwear, in particular, showing a good start to the summer sales.

She added DIY and gardening products had performed less well.

Food and drink sales saw a minor impact from the World Cup but suffered a little as demand for seasonal items such as ice cream and barbecue products was low.