Britain's economy grew by 0.1% in the final quarter of last year, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Thursday, offering some rare respite from the downbeat economic picture facing finance minister Rachel Reeves.

While the headline figure will be greeted with some relief in Downing St, the ONS data shows there is little to celebrate with a measure for growth by head of population showing a second quarter of contraction.

Official figures showed gross domestic product edged 0.1% higher between October and December, confounding expectations for a contraction

The UK economy unexpectedly grew in the final three months of last year following a boost to the construction and services sectors. The economy expanded by 0.1% between October and December, according to official figures.