--UK Feb retail sales volume up 0.6% on month; up 5.8% on yr
--UK Feb retail sales deflator at zero, highest since June 1999
--UK Dec-Feb retail sales volume up 1.6% on qtr; up 4.6% on yr
--UK Feb retail sales growth stronger than expected
--ONS says Feb data suggests pick up in underlying sales growth
--UK Feb retail sales value up 5.2% on yr
--UK Nov-Feb retail sales value up 4.8% on year
--ONS says no effect on UK Feb sales data from foot/mouth disease
--UK Jan monthly retail sales volume rev dn, Dec rev up
--UK Jan annual retail sales volume rev to up 3.4% vs up 3.3%
--UK Dec-Feb retail sales quarterly rate highest since Feb 1998
--UK Feb mainly foodstore sales up 1.1% on mo, up 3.9% on year
--UK Feb mainly non-foodstore sales up 0.8% on mo, up 8.3% on yr

London, March 15 (BridgeNews) - U.K. retail sales grew more quickly than expected in February despite an absence of price deflation for the first time since June 1999, according to figures published Thursday the Office for National Statistics. Sales volumes grew 0.6% on the month and rose 5.8% on the year, compared with revised growth of 0.6% on the month and 3.4% on the year in January and expectations for monthly growth of 0.3%. The implied deflator was zero in February, compared with minus 0.2% in January, making it the first time there has not been an annual fall in prices since June 1999.
* * * The ONS said: "The February data suggests an increase in the overall rate of growth following the recent leveling off." In previous months, the ONS had said there were tentative signs that sales growth was slowing down.
The three monthly growth rate, which is generally considered the best way of smoothing out volatility, rose to 1.6% in February from 1.4% in January and was the fastest quarterly rate since February 1998. The three monthly annual rate was 4.6% in February, compared with 4.2% in January.
The apparent reversal of the long-term trend of price deflation, which for a long time was attributed with supporting sales growth, suggests consumer demand is less sensitive to price increases than had been thought and will be a cause for concern on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.
The ONS said the main driver of growth in February came from large food stores, although most sectors appeared to record a fairly strong performance.