The UK manufacturing sector made a strong start to 2017. Output rose at the fastest rate since May 2014, as new order intakes expanded at a robust pace. Price pressures intensified, however, as input cost inflation surged to a survey record high and output charges also increased at one of the steepest rates in the series history.

The seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) posted 55.9 in January, only a couple of ticks below December's two-anda-half year high of 56.1. The headline PMI has remained above the neutral mark of 50.0 for six straight months.