Kingfisher gave investors in the struggling home improvement chain – and the battered retail sector – a glimmer of hope on Thursday when its new management team delivered a rare rise in underlying sales at its British B&Q chain.

The UK’s biggest DIY chain said Britons were once again turning to home improvement in the midst of the credit crunch, demonstrated by a 30 per cent rise in sales of DIY manuals and DVDs as they seek to economise.