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, and the latest figure is published every month., down from 2.8% in the 12 months to February.

It was a bigger drop than analysts had expected, which the ONS said was driven by a fall in clothing and shoe prices.The Bank also considers other measures such as "core inflation" when deciding whether and how to change rates.Core CPI doesn't include food or energy prices because they tend to be very volatile, so can be a better indication of longer term trends.

This was 3.4% in March, down slightly from 3.5% in February.Inflation has fallen significantly since hitting 11.1% in October 2022, which was the highest rate for 40 years.

However, that doesn't mean prices are falling - just that they are rising less quickly.

Inflation soared in 2022 because oil and gas were in greater demand after the Covid pandemic, and energy prices surged again when Russia invaded Ukraine.A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “Naturally occurring groundwater can enter sewers, often from private pipes and in dry weather, which can cause overflows to operate for days or even months.

“We agree overflows are outdated so we’re investing £3 million a month to help reduce how often they automatically operate.”A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “In areas with high levels of residual groundwater, spills can happen outside of periods of rainfall. Without these releases – made up almost entirely of groundwater – homes and communities would be flooded.

“Combatting these groundwater spills is a key part of our £1.5 billion Clean Rivers and Seas Plan, which is designed to drastically reduce all storm overflows across our region by 2030.”Water and sewerage companies are responsible for outlets known as combined sewer overflows (CSOs), which release sewage from treatment works or the sewage network into the UK's waterways.