BRITAIN’S most-squeezed households are seeing the price they have to pay for some of the cheapest food in the supermarket soaring by nearly two-thirds, data revealed today.

The price of the least expensive pasta that under-pressure shoppers can get has risen by 60 per cent in the last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Statisticians found that the cheapest vegetable oil on supermarket shelves has jumped by 65 per cent.

The cheapest tea had risen in price by 46 per cent, chips rose by 39 per cent, bread was up 38 per cent and biscuits up by 34 per cent.

Analyst Sir Ian Diamond said: “While the recent spike in inflation began with energy prices, today’s fresh insights using a new innovative data source show they are now filtering through to other important items, with the cheapest price of some staple food items rising by around two thirds in the last year.

“Figures from our near real-time survey of people show that while rises in food and energy costs are affecting many people across the country, those who are disabled, from certain ethnic minority backgrounds and renters are among those struggling the most.

“With rises in the cost of living at the forefront of many people’s minds, our new, almost real-time, data showing just how prices are changing and shining a light on how different groups are affected have never been more important.”

Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe said: “Food prices are driving up inflation.

“Some of the lowest-priced foods have increased by more than 40 per cent since this time last year.

“Inflation is at its highest rate in 40 years amid wage depression.

“This is corporate greed.”