Construction output shrinks

Output in the construction industry fell sharply in February as extreme weather halted work on building sites, official figures have shown. Output fell by 2.8% to £270m compared with a month earlier, the ONS said. But in the three months to the end of February, construction output grew 0.3% compared with the previous quarter. Despite signs of improvement, the construction industry remains 13.2% below its pre-recession peak. The ONS said the heavy rain and flooding that marked the wettest winter on record had caused delays in building work. It added that repairs of flood damage had not yet filtered through to its data.