The UK economy shrugged off the impact of strikes to return to growth in April, according to official figures charting a pick-up in spending at the shops and in bars and restaurants.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) measured growth of 0.2% following a contraction of 0.3% in the previous month.

It reported growth over the three months to April was 0.1%.

ONS director of economic statistics, Darren Morgan, said of the performance: “GDP (gross domestic product) bounced back after a weak March.

“Bars and pubs had a comparatively strong April while car sales rebounded and education partially recovered from the effect of the previous month’s strikes.

“These were partially offset by falls in health, which was affected by the junior doctors’ strikes, along with falls in computer manufacturing and the often-erratic pharmaceuticals industry.

“House builders and estate agents also had a poor month.

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“Over the last three months as a whole the economy grew a little, driven largely by the construction industries.

“The services sector dragged growth downwards, partly due to the impact of public sector strikes.”

The ONS update follows hot on the heels of upgrades in recent weeks to UK economic expectations by key international bodies such as the IMF and OECD.

Both had initially predicted a recession during 2023.

However, there is no cause for celebration as the growth being widely talked for this year represents just a few tenths of a per cent.

Confidence to spend and invest is being dented heavily by high inflation.