Inflation has unexpectedly jumped to 10.4 per cent after dropping for three consecutive months, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has confirmed.<br /><br />It comes after vegetable shortages pushed food prices to their highest rate in more than 45 years.<br /><br />Many economists were expecting CPI to fall to 9.9 per cent in February.<br /><br />Data indicated that rising prices of drinks in pubs and restaurants also drove inflation higher.<br /><br />Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “Falling inflation isn’t inevitable, so we need to stick to our plan to halve it this year.”
