UK government borrowing was significantly lower last month, due to an increase in tax income outweighing spending, official figures show.

In December government borrowing - the difference between public spending and tax income - was £11.6bn, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

It is down £7.1bn - 38% - from the previous December, and lower than what many economists had predicted.

Tom Davies, Deputy Director for the ONS public service division, said the fall was a result of "receipts being up strongly on last year whereas spending is only modestly higher".