Manufacturers are back under pressure as figures showed the price of goods leaving factories rose only slightly last month.
According to the Office for National Statistics output prices inched up by 0.1 per cent between August and last month - half the growth rate seen the previous month.
The increase, which fell short of the 0.2 per cent rise economists had been predicting, leaves output prices 1.5 per cent up on September last year.
Meanwhile, input prices, the cost of raw materials used by manufacturers, fell by 1.2 per cent - the biggest seasonally adjusted reduction for ten months.
However, the ONS said the month-on-month decrease primarily reflected a sharp drop in crude oil prices, which were down by 9.6 per cent.
With crude oil prices having recovered some ground this month following a surprise Opec decision to cut production levels, input prices are likely to rise again next month.
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