UK manufacturing falls in October, statistics reveal

Industrial production dropped for the third month in a row, according to the latest ONS figures

Britain's manufacturing output unexpectedly fell in October, as a decline in pharmaceutical production dragged on the industry.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that manufacturing output fell 0.9% in October, down from a 0.6% rise in September.

The statistics also showed that industrial production dropped for the third month in a row, falling 1.3% in October – the biggest one-month decline since September 2012.

The decline in manufacturing output was "broad-based across the sector", the ONS said. The biggest downward pressure came from the pharmaceutical industry, which saw a 3.6% drop.

As for total industrial production, the largest fall in output came from oil and gas, which shrank by 10.8%.

Katie Davies, ONS senior statistician, said: “October saw a sharp fall in UK oil output, largely down to the total shutdown of the major Buzzard oil field.

“Small falls in output across a range of sectors also contributed to a drop in overall manufacturing,” she added.