British Chancellor George Osborne's deficit reduction plans were lifted today after it emerged that borrowing fell by more than expected in October.
Public sector borrowing, excluding financial interventions such as bank bail-outs, fell to £6.5 billion, which is £1.2 billion lower than the previous year and below economists' expectations.
Borrowing between April and September was also revised down by £1.7 billion.
The figures come a week before the Chancellor's autumn statement, when he is expected to announce a package of measures to help boost the UK's ailing economy amid criticism that his austerity measures have choked off the recovery.
On the same day, the Office for Budget Responsibility will update its forecasts for government borrowing, with many economists expecting the body to admit that Mr Osborne will fail to eradicate the structural deficit by 2014/15 as previously planned.
Today's figures mean British government borrowing in the year since April stands at £68.3 billion, which is still in sight of its target of £122 billion in the financial year.
But there are increasing fears that the worsening state of the economy will scupper the deficit reduction plans by increasing the government's benefits bill and lowering its tax income.
Prime Minister David Cameron admitted yesterday that controlling Britain's debt was "proving harder than anyone envisaged".
