UK inflation eases to 4.2% in June

UK consumer price inflation fell from 4.5% in May to 4.2% in June despite food prices remaining high.

The move, which represents the first time since 2003 CPI has fallen between May and June, was accompanied by a fall in the retail prices index from 5.2% to 5% over the same period. The recreation and culture and clothing and footwear sectors put the most downwards pressure on figures, the Office for National Statistics said, with a 0.9% monthly increase in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices representing "by far the most significant upward contribution" to CPI. Core inflation - all CPI items excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco - fell from 3.3% to 2.8%, its lowest level sinc...