By Chris Dorrell London markets shot into the green on Friday morning as strong retail sales figures raised the prospect the UK would soon escape its recessionary malaise. The FTSE 100 gained 0.76 per cent to trade at 7,655.49 while the FTSE 250, which is more aligned with the health of the domestic economy, rose 0.59 per cent to trade at 19,210.22. “Market sentiment is being buoyed by better-than-expected retail sales,” Sophie Lund-Yates, lead equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown. Retail sales volumes were up 3.4 per cent in January, compared to the 1.5 per cent expansion expected by economist…