Inflation increased to 5.5% in January as the impact of rising energy bills and higher pay fed into a wide range of goods and services.
Clothing, footwear and furniture pushed the inflation higher along with secondhand cars, which jumped in price last month the Office for National Statistics said.
With inflation predicted to hit more than 7% in April, the January consumer prices index (CPI) is expected to heap further pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates again.
In December CPI hit a 30-year high of 5.4%.
The central bank increased its base interest rate to 0.5% earlier this month, citing the rise in inflation since the autumn to a 30-year high for the move.
More to follow…
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