UK recession continues

The UK economy unexpectedly contracted by 0.4 per cent between July and September.



Official figures have indicated that the country is still in recession.



The BBC said its the first time that UK gross domestic product (GDP) has contracted for six consecutive quarters, since quarterly figures were first recorded in 1955.



The figures could still be revised up or down at a later date, because this figure is only the first estimate.



GDP measures the total amount of goods and services produced by a country.



The pound fell sharply after the figures were released, reflecting the fact that many observers had expected the UK to have grown during the quarter.