Bank of England raises interest rates by a half point to 5%

Move brings borrowing costs to highest level since April 2008 as Bank intensifies efforts to control inflation

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The Bank of England has raised interest rates by a half point to 5% as it intensifies its efforts to tackle stubbornly high inflation, adding to the strain on households struggling with soaring mortgage costs.

In what will be seen as a major move, the Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC) increased rates for the 13th consecutive time to the highest level since 2008. Before the decision was announced, financial markets were evenly split on whether the Bank would vote for a half-point rise or a smaller quarter-point increase.