The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that the UK economy has fallen back into recession after contracting by 0.2% during the first three months of the year.
This means that output has now declined in the previous two quarters after slipping by 0.3% during the final three months of 2011, confirming a first double-dip recession in the UK for the first time since 1975.
Economists anticipated it would be touch and go as to whether the UK could avoid the unwanted feat, but it proved inevitable following a 3% decline in construction output in what is typically regarded as the toughest quarter of the year.
Prime Minister David Cameron described the data as "very, very disappointing", leading to leader of the opposition Ed Miliband to suggest it proves that the coalition's strategy to return the economy to growth simply isn't working.