LONDON (AP) — British consumer price inflation held steady at 3.1 percent in September, still well above official targets, amid falling gasoline prices but big jumps in the cost of food and clothing, official data showed yesterday.

Despite concerns that the economic recovery is losing steam, the rate remains above the government's two percent target. Analysts, however, say the new figures are unlikely to persuade the Bank of England to tighten the flow of money into the economy as long as the growth outlook is uncertain. The Office for National Statistics said prices for clothing and footwear shot up 6.4 percent. The price of furnishings also rose sharply.