STRUGGLING British manufacturers saw output rise in the past three months.

According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), manufacturing output increased by 0.2 per cent in the three months to July.

But when including figures from the energy and mining and quarrying industries, total production output rose by 0.5 per cent compared to the previous three months, but was down 0.2 per cent compared with the same three months a year ago.

The machinery and equipment industries saw a significant increase of 2.9 per cent in output, but the basic metals and metal product industries saw output fall by 1.4 per cent.

Between June and July, manufacturing output increased by 0.5 per cent on the back of a significant rise in output of 3.3 per cent in the electrical and optical equipment industries.

Output in electricity, gas and water supply in the past three months rose by 3.3 per cent compared to the previous three months, but decreased by 2.4 per cent between June and July.