British consumer price index (CPI) soared at the annual rate of 4.0 percent in January, the highest level for more than two years, according a report released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday.
The inflation rate, compared with the 3.7 percent last December, doubled the target rate of 2 percent set by the British central bank. It was also the highest level from November 2008.
The report said the main pressures to Britain's inflation came from energy products and food prices, and also resulted partly from the increase of sales tax from the beginning of the month.
The CPI inflation rose by 0.1 percent in January from December on a month-on-month basis.
The ONS added that the annual inflation as recorded by the retail prices index (RPI) also increased to 5.1 percent in January, compared with the annual rate of 4.8 percent in December.