Fuel prices, air travel and hotel rooms rise

MOTORISTS, homeowners, hotel guests and air passengers have been worst hit as prices rose for the second month in a row last month.

People with children enjoyed a boost, however, with the introduction of the free pre-school places scheme reducing the cost of childcare.

Overall prices in March rose by an average of just 0.1%, bringing the rate of inflation to -3.1% so that the cost of day-to-day goods and services is still lower than it was this time last year.