Official figures show that Britain's economy grew by more than expected in the third quarter and at its fastest annual rate in more than three years.
The Office for National Statistics' first estimate showed GDP grew by 0.8% in the July to September period. Economists had forecast a slowdown to 0.7% from 0.8% in the second quarter.
The annual rate of growth accelerated to 3.3% from 3.1% in the second quarter, the strongest rate since the second quarter of 2004.
The figures are likely to reinforce expectations that the Bank of England will be in no hurry to cut interest rates as policymakers wait to see how financial market turmoil will affect the wider economy.
Retail sales have been surprisingly strong recently despite rising borrowing costs and a global lending squeeze which has raised fears over the outlook for economic growth.
