Gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.5% in October, following a contraction of 0.6% the month prior, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

October’s partial recovery, which was slightly stronger than forecast, was mostly explained by the number of working days after the extra Bank Holiday in September for the Queen’s funeral.

Retail firms saw a 1.3% rise in output, pushing overall production higher, after falls of 1.7% in September and 1.6% in August, but consumer facing services were 8.9% below their pre-coronavirus levels.