Vegetable shortages pushed food prices to their highest rate in more than 45 years as UK inflation unexpectedly shot up last month. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose to 10.4 per cent in February from 10.1 per cent in January.
Most economists were expecting it to fall to 9.9 per cent in February. The surprise jump in inflation comes after food and non-alcoholic drinks prices rose by 18 per cent year-on-year last month. This was up from 16.7 per cent in January and the highest since August 1977.
The ONS said price inflation of food and non-alcoholic drinks rose higher to 18.3 per cent from 16.8 per cent. Shortages of vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers in recent weeks were largely behind the rocketing food inflation.
