UK economy records surprise growth as factory production rises

• The UK economy recorded surprise growth of 0.1 per cent in August, beating economists' forecasts of a contraction.
• Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that strong factory production helped drive the monthly expansion.
• The August figure represents a slowdown from the 0.4 per cent growth recorded in both June and July.
• Across the three months to August, overall gross domestic product expanded by 0.7 per cent.
• ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown noted that three-month growth was driven primarily by the services sector.

IN FULL

UK economy grew unexpectedly by 0.1% in August