Post-Brexit-vote surge for UK economy comes to an end

Weakening retail sales as inflation raises price of imports allied with lower industrial output point to the UK economy 'dropping down a gear'

Worries that the UK economy is losing steam have been strengthened by news of a housing market slowdown, a drop in industrial output and the weakest performance for a year by the construction industry.

Economists on Friday said there was growing evidence that the UK economy slipped down a gear as it entered the new year, following a strong finish to 2016 that had confounded the doomsayers predicting a post-Brexit-vote slump.

Economic activity was relatively subdued in Feb, following strong growth across key industries at the end of 2016 https://t.co/quM5OtzuBO

Related: UK house prices slide for first time in almost two years, says Nationwide