TESCO was accused of taking advantage of the cost-of-living crisis today after its chief executive’s pay packet doubled to £9.9 million.

Ken Murphy’s £5m year-on-year wage increase in the year to February was a “slap in the face to the millions of struggling workers and their families who paid for it through higher food bills,” the Unite union said.

“The fact is Tesco has taken advantage of the cost-of-living crisis to rake in obscene profits and it is far from the only one.”

The supermarket giant has reported that total retail sales grew by 3.4 per cent to £15.3 billion in the 13 weeks to May 25, compared with the same period of last year.

This came on the back of a 5 per cent increase in food sales, with high demand for fresh produce helping to increase sales volumes.

Tesco said it expected to make an operating profit of at least £2.8bn in the current financial year, in line with targets set in April.