Soaring prices in food and fuel have seen inflation rise to a 30-year high - and that is even before energy bills spiked in price.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation rose 7% in the year to March, up from 6.2% in February.

It was once more the highest point since March 1992, when inflation stood at 7.1%.

The rise was higher than the 6.7% that analysts had expected and was driven by fuel, restaurant, and food prices, dealing an added blow to households.

ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner said of the topic: “Broad-based price rises saw annual inflation increase sharply again in March.

“Amongst the largest increases were petrol costs, with prices mostly collected before the recent cut in fuel duty, and furniture.”

The Bolton News: Inflation went up due to rapidly rising food and fuel prices (PA)Inflation went up due to rapidly rising food and fuel prices (PA) (Image: PA)

He also pointed out steep jumps in restaurant and hotel prices while the cost of many food items rose.

Petrol at 160.2p per litre on average in March and diesel at 170.5p, were both at record high prices.

The price of clothes and shoes rose by 9.7% in the year to March, furniture, household equipment and maintenance jumped 10.4% while food and non-alcoholic beverages were up 5.9%.

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Additionally, the data also showed that the price of oils and fats for food increased by 7.2% in March alone, adding to a more than 18% rise in the last year.

March’s inflation does not take into account the average 54% hike in energy bills that was applied to around 22 million households two weeks ago.

This will not appear in CPI figures until next month, when April’s data is expected to show another jump, further highlighting the increasing squeeze on ordinary people.

Jack Leslie, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation think tank, said: “With ONS data yesterday showing that wages are not keeping pace with rising prices, Britain’s cost-of-living crisis – on track to be the biggest squeeze since the mid-70s – will continue to worsen before it starts to ease at some point next year.”

The Bank of England has predicted that inflation could peak at around 8% in April as the new energy prices are factored in.