The last time the consumer prices index (CPI) was higher was March 1992, when it reached 7.2pc, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.
Annual inflation was also 5.2pc in September 2008, when oil rocketed to an all-time high of $147 a barrel and the global financial system was on the brink of collapse following the failure of Lehman Brothers.
The ONS said that the price rises of four of the six large utility companies have been factored into the inflation figure so far. The other two will be reflected in the October inflation figures.
Bills for gas, electricity and other fuels rose 18.3pc on the year in September, while transport costs were up 12.8pc. Food prices were 6pc higher than last year. Economists had expected CPI to be between 4.9pc.
The unsavoury combination of high inflation and high unemployment in September pushed the UK 'Misery Index' to a 19-year according to Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit....read on
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