COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

UK inflation rose at its fastest annual pace for nine months in December.

The Office for National Statistics said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation had risen to 2.9%, up from an annual rate of 1.9% in November.

That was the biggest jump in the annual rate from one month to the next since records began, and exceeded the City's expectations of an increase to 2.6%.

The Retail Price Index (RPI), which includes housing costs, rose to 2.4%, its highest level since November 2008.

This was a rise from 0.3% in November, and also constitutes the biggest monthly rise in the annual rate of RPI inflation since 1979.

Sterling surge

The news boosted the value of the pound, with markets betting on an early end to the Bank of England's policy of increasing the money supply under what is known as quantitative easing (QE) and possible future rises in interest rates.

In late morning trading, the pound went above 1.145 euros for the first time since mid-September before falling back slightly. It also traded higher against the dollar, reaching $1.646 at one point.

The annual increase in CPI mainly came about because of a number of unusual factors that had depressed prices a year earlier. These included a near-record fall in oil prices in December 2008, the VAT cut to 15% and retail discounting, the Office for National Statistics said.

Ten out of 12 sub-sectors recorded higher prices, with the biggest increases coming from transport and clothing and footwear.

Core CPI, which excludes food, energy, tobacco and alcohol, rose by 2.8% on the year, which is the fastest pace of growth since records began in January 1997.

The RPI and CPI measure the change in prices charged for goods and services bought by households in the UK. It is based on average spending patterns for UK households.

The CPI does not take into account certain items that are included in the RPI. The Retail Price Index includes council tax, mortgage interest payments, buildings insurance and house depreciation.