Empty shops reaches all-time high

The number of empty shops hit an all-time high last month amid a post-Christmas series of retail failures, according to a new survey.

Town centre vacancy rates rose to an average of 14.6% in February, from 14.5% in January, the Local Data Company (LDC) said, the highest figures since the index started four years ago. This equates to one in nearly seven shops being shut in the UK.