London

BRITAIN'S inflation rate fell more than economists forecast in January, dropping to a record low as food and fuel prices plunged.

Consumer price growth slowed to 0.3 from 0.5 per cent in December, the lowest since the data series began in 1989, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday. Based on a statistics office model, it is the weakest since March 1960, when prices fell 0.6 per cent. Economists had forecast a 0.4 per cent rate in January.