Funds investing in the UK were some of the top performers in the first quarter of this year as Britain's fast roll-out of vaccines has tempted some investors to bet on the country's recovery. The Investment Association's UK Smaller Companies sector came top of the table, with returns of 9 per cent in the first three months of the year, while UK Equity Income funds were in third position, up 6.8 per cent, and UK All Companies up 5.8 per cent. North American smaller companies are also benefiting more than large caps from the expected economic recovery, with the average fund in that sector growing 6.9 per cent.