Rate of inflation rises unexpectedly A fall in the number of supermarket promotions saw the rate of inflation unexpectedly rise last month, piling more pressure on hard-pressed families. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation rose to 3.5 per cent in March, from 3.4 per cent in February, the Office for National Statistics said. It brings an end to five months of declines. Food and non-alcoholic drinks fell 0.5 per cent on the month but this compared with a 1.4 per cent fall last year when supermarkets and other retailers offered a wider range of sales and special offers. The Bank of England previously predicted that CPI would fall swiftly back throughout this year to the Government's 2 per cent target.