The ONS said the goods trade gap narrowed to £5.44 billion from a revised record £5.9bn in August and was wider than the £5.3bn economists had expected.

The ONS said the UK was a net importer of oil for the second straight month, something not seen since monthly records began a quarter of a century ago.

August's narrowing in the services surplus, due to huge insurance payments after Hurricane Katrina devastated the US Gulf coast, was reversed in September, bringing it to £1.56bn.

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