UK manufacturing expects hard winter ahead

Core manufacturing output falls 0.4% on the month

Britain's manufacturers cut back output by 0.4% in October, partly reversing a strong performance the previous month, and underlining warnings of a tough winter for the sector.

Official figures showed that while George Osborne has pledged to unleash a "march of the makers", manufacturing output in October stood 0.1% lower than the same month in 2014 - and remains 6.1% below its pre-recession peak.