UK economy grows weaker than expected

The fragility of the UK's recovery has been highlighted as latest figures show growth was 0.2 per cent in the first three months of 2010.

The Office for National Statistics' initial estimate reflects the disruption caused by January's wintry weather.

It is less than what economists predicted who thought it would be 0.4 per cent.

It will be an election blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown just hours after he took part in the second televised debate.

For the Tories, shadow chancellor George Osborne said the figures underline the dangers of going ahead with the Government's planned increase in National Insurance contributions.

"After the longest recession, we now have a jobless recovery from a weak Government," he said.

ING economist James Knightley said he continued to expect growth of 1 per cent this year and 1.5 per cent in both 2011 and 2012.