Europe growth woe

STORM clouds are gathering over the global economy as the outlook in the United States and Europe darkens, latest figures claim.

Research group Markit said its index of private sector activity in the crisis-torn eurozone – where 50 is the cut- off between growth and decline – dropped from 52.9 in August to 52.6 this month, the weakest reading for 20 months.

Growth picked up in France but slowed in Germany – with France outperforming Germany for the first time in more than four years.

The overall expansion outside the ‘big two’ hit a 21- month low. The weak figures came as sterling fell 1pc against the euro and the dollar.