British consumer confidence edged higher this month from January's 22-month low after a slight recovery in shoppers' personal financial situation and willingness to make big purchases, a survey shows today. The GfK NOP consumer confidence index rose to -28 from January's -29, but is well below the level of -14 this time last year as shoppers face rising prices and sluggish wage growth, while public-sector spending cuts put jobs at risk. 'While the UK government will be relieved that consumer confidence has levelled out, such a small increase indicates that last month's astonishing figures were not an aberration,' said Nick Moon, managing director of GfK NOP Social Research. The CBI business lobby yesterday reported a widening gap in morale between firms reliant on consumer spending and those that benefit from business investment, and its retail sales index fell to an eight month low. GfK NOP polled 2,000 people in Britain between February 4 and February 13 in the survey, which was carried out on behalf of the European Commission.