Britain dodges recession as economy grew in first quarter

LONDON (AP) — Britain has given the slip to the Triple Dip.

The U.K. dodged a third recession after official figures showed the economy grew 0.3 percent in the first quarter compared with the previous three months — a better-than-expected result that offered a bit of breathing space to a government facing criticism for its tough austerity policies.

The figure released Thursday by the Office for National Statistics was above analyst forecasts for 0.1 percent growth and allowed the country to avoid a so-called “Triple Dip” — a third recession since the 2008 economic crisis.

The pound jumped high...