British manufacturing output fell at its sharpest rate in nearly three years in March to suggest the economy slowed sharply in the first quarter of the year.
Britain's national statistics office said manufacturing production fell by 1.6 per cent on the month in March. Overall industrial production fell by 1.2 per cent.
Analysts had forecast that manufacturing production would rise by 0.1 per cent on the month and industrial production would increase 0.2 per cent.
The weak data could knock 0.13 per cent off the first-quarter GDP estimate of 0.6 per cent.
