Tesco sees shares fall

SHARES in retail group Tesco have dropped by more than 4pc after the group recorded sales figures that fell short of expectations.

The company lagged behind the Christmas performance of rivals Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury -- rising by 0.6pc in like-for-like sales in the UK.

International sales, which include turnover from its lucrative Irish operations, rose 14.2pc, with sales within Europe climbing 5.6pc.

Tesco said in a statement that the group's sales in the period reported were 7.6pc higher and that its total sales in the UK were up 4.2pc.