Factory gate inflation proved sticky in August, holding at July's upwardly revised reading of 6.1%, the highest annual rate since October 2008, despite a sharp fall in input prices, official data showed last Friday. Analysts had forecast a 5.9% increase. The Office for National Statistics said input prices fell 1.9% on the month, a bigger drop than economists had expected, taking the annual rate of input price inflation to 16.2%, the lowest since March. The price of crude oil inputs fell by 5.9% on the month, the biggest drop since May, although the cost of oil is still up 35.7% on a year ago. There were also big annual rises in the costs of imported food, parts and equipment, and other materials. The slowing pace of input price inflation may give some limited comfort to the Bank of England, which held interest rates at 0.5% at its monthly meeting last week. But the central bank left open the possibility it may restart its quantitative easing programme should the economy weaken further.