UK economy shrinks by 0.2% in final quarter of 2011

The Office for National Statistics says the British economy shrunk by 0.2% in the final quarter of last year.

A big drop in output from manufacturers was the main cause, with demand for electricity and gas from households and industry falling back as well.

Joe Grice, the chief economist with the ONS, stressed the figures were preliminary, with a margin of error of plus or minus 0.2%.