UK industrial output rose unexpectedly in April for the first time since February 2008, official figures have shown.

The Office for National Statistics said output rose by 0.3% from the previous month, compared with forecasts by analysts of just a 0.1% rise.

Manufacturing rose 0.2%, which was also an unexpected rise.

Commenting on the figures, David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), says: “Manufacturing output has recorded a modest increase, which is better than analysts expected.

“By any longer-term perspective, manufacturing is in deep decline of more than 13% compared with a year earlier. Any talk of recovery at this stage is premature and potentially misleading.”