British inflation has soared to the highest level since the early stages of the pandemic, official data showed on Wednesday, stoking fears of a global inflationary spike as economies reopen. The Consumer Price Index rate hit 1.5 per cent in April, attaining the highest point since March 2020 when the COVID crisis erupted, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. The upswing, which compared with 0.7 per cent in March 2021, was fuelled by rising clothing and energy costs and came as the UK economy embarked on a phased reopening. “Inflation rose in April, mainly due to prices rising this year compared with the falls seen at the start of the pandemic this time last year,” said chief ONS economist Grant Fitzner. “This was seen most clearly in household utility bills and clothing prices.” Clothing and footwear prices increased last month following many months of decline during lockdown. Energy prices rose after the government recently increased its electricity and gas tariff cap, having cut it a year earlier. And rising crude oil prices fed through into higher costs for motor fuels, which are now at their highest level since January 2020. Wednesday’s news has fuelled...