Oct. 19 (Bloomberg) -- London retail sales rose the most in more than a year in September as warmer weather encouraged people to go shopping, the British Retail Consortium said.

Same store sales gained 7.5 percent, the group said today in London. Middle Eastern investors returned after Ramadan, and the pound’s weakness against the euro continued to attract western Europeans, the BRC said in a statement.

“These results offer retailers a glimpse of optimism in the all important run-up to Christmas,” said Stephen Robertson, director general of the BRC. “But consumer confidence is volatile and could easily slip back.”

Food sales growth weakened slightly, affected by lower food inflation. Clothing and footwear picked up, some helped by promotions and discounts, but also by new season ranges. Furniture and houseware sales also showed improvement, helped by an increase in consumer confidence and the housing market, the BRC said.

The three months through September saw an increase of 1.7 percent, the group said. It also said that September was compared with a “very weak” month last year, when the financial crisis was at its peak.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Barwell in London on tbarwell@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 18, 2009 19:01 EDT