The UK's longest and deepest recession finally came to an end in the last three months of 2009, new official figures show.
A 0.1 per cent expansion in the economy between October and December ended six straight quarters of shrinking output, according to first estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Overall, the economy slumped 4.8 per cent last year - the biggest annual contraction since records began in 1949 - and it has lost six per cent since the recession began in 2008.
A Treasury spokesman said: "The Chancellor has always said that the economy would return to growth by the turn of the year, and today's estimate of 0.1 per cent growth in the fourth quarter bears that judgment out."
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