LONDON (Reuters) British retail sales fell more than twice as fast as expected in May, more than reversing the previous month’s gains as worries about the economy led consumers to cut back sharply after a Royal Wedding-related splurge in April, official data showed yesterday.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales volumes including automotive fuel fell 1.4 percent last month, more than reversing April’s 1.1 percent gain and well below analysts’ forecasts for a fall of 0.6 percent. It was the biggest fall since January 2010.The figures are likely to reinforce the case for the Bank of England to leave interest rates at their record low 0.5 percent for some time to come, amid signs the economic recovery is running out of steam.In a speech on Wednesday, BoE Governor Mervyn King suggested he is in no hurry to start tightening policy, saying Britain was in store for several tough years.Excluding fuel, retail sales were 1.6 percent lower on the month, also well below expectations. The ONS said the fall was driven by the biggest monthly decline in predominantly food store sales since June 2008.It said retailers reported the downturn was a result of consumers cutting back due to the economic climate, for example increasing fuel prices and uncertainty over job prospects and pay.It added that anecdotal evidence suggested the drop in food store sales was mainly due to a decline in spending non-food items. Retailers said sales had been driven by special offers.May’s drop in sales volumes more than reversed the boost to sales from the Royal Wedding and record warm weather in April, which had driven up retail sales at their fastest pace for a month of April since 2002.A survey by the British Retail Consortium had already shown a big fall in like-for-like sales over the same period.Consumer spending has come under heavy pressure this year, due to rises in sales tax and oil prices cutting disposable income, and shoppers are unwilling to splash out on big items due to the threat of job cuts as part of public spending cuts.Britain’s biggest household goods retailer Home Retail, which owns the Argos high street chain, reported shoppers have dramatically cut purchases of electrical goods and warned that trading conditions would get worse.Economists expect consumer spending to be under pressure in 2011. High inflation and limited wage growth is likely to focus spending on essentials, and unemployment is forecast to rise due to job losses from public spending cuts.