UK economy bounces back from Omicron as more people dine out

Sectors that were hard hit in December, such as restaurants, performed well in January, says the Office for National Statistics. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

Britain’s economy bounced back from the effects of the Omicron Covid variant at a faster pace than expected during January, as consumers returned to eating and drinking out in pubs and restaurants.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said all sectors of the economy returned to growth, helping to lift gross domestic product by 0.8% in January from a month earlier, fuelled by a rise in consumer-facing services.