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The rate of inflation has remained at 4%, confounding expectations of a rise, official figures show.

The consumer price index measure of inflation stood at 4% in January, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

It was also 4% in December.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “Inflation never falls in a perfect straight line, but the plan is working; we have made huge progress in bringing inflation down from 11%, and the Bank of England forecast that it will fall to around 2% in a matter of months.”