Inflation is up again and people are furious

Inflation is up again and people are cross.

The cost of living unexpectedly increased last month from 10.1 per cent in January to 10.4 per cent in February thanks in part to shortages of salad and vegetables which pushed food prices up.

Alcohol prices in restaurants and pubs as well as clothing costs also rose, but fuel prices continued to fall.

Grant Fitzner, chief economist for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said higher food prices were driven by "particular increases for some salad and vegetable items as high energy costs and bad weather across parts of Europe led to shortages and rationing".

He told the BBC's Today programme that what experts "hadn't been expecting" was "an increase in the price of alcohol in pubs and restaurants in February after some discounting" in January.

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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said a slowdown had not been "inevitable".

"We recognise just how tough things are for families across the country, so as we work towards getting inflation under control we will help families with cost-of-living support worth £3,300 on average per household this year."

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