British production in 10-month high

London: British manufacturing production jumped in January by the most in 10 months, a sign the economy is resuming growth after a winter freeze dented the recovery.

Factory output rose 1% from December, when it shrank 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics said. Economists had forecast a 0.6% increase. The index of manufacturing rose to 92.9, the highest since October 2008.

Bank of England officials said in forecasts last month that export growth has been “buoyant” and that manufacturing was less affected than other parts of the economy by the coldest December in a century. Policy makers will still probably maintain emergency stimulus to aid the recovery through the government’s spending squeeze, economists say.