UK manufacturing production falls unexpectedly in January

Steep drop in hi-tech goods sector blamed for decline in monthly figure

Britain's manufacturers cut production going into the new year, according to official figures that showed a dip of 0.5% in output in January compared with the previous month.

The fall in output contributed to an unexpected reverse in the broader measure of industrial production, which fell month on month by 0.1%, against a 0.2% increase predicted by economists taking part in a Reuters poll.