The pace of the UK recovery slowed in the third quarter of the year as manufacturing posted its weakest performance since the start of 2013, official figures showed today.

Britain's gross domestic product (GDP) grew as expected by 0.7%, the seventh quarter in a row in which it has increased but lower than the 0.9% in the previous period.

Growth was held back by expansion in the dominant services sector being pegged back sharply and Britain's beleaguered manufacturers seeing a strong performance earlier this year fade away.