Food and mortgage costs are on the rise

FOOD and mortgage costs have begun to creep up again but clothing, footwear and alcohol prices continue to fall.

Figures show that food prices were up 0.4% last month compared with the previous month, while restaurant costs were also up slightly. The major increases were seen in soup, which was up 4.1%, as well as in potatoes and cheese, which were both up 3.5%.

Air fares also soared last month, jumping 14% while overall transport costs were up almost 1%.