Soaring transport costs have sent the Isle of Man’s official rate of inflation higher.

January’s government figures show that sea travel was 8.9% more expensive than a year earlier, while air travel had gone up by 8.1%.

In contrast, petrol and oil costs dropped 1.8% over the year.

Inflation measured by the consumer prices index was 2.6%, statistics released today reveal.

That’s up slightly from December, when inflation hit 2.5%.

The big prices rises include postage (10.6%), tobacco (12.7%), wine and spirits ’on sales’ (11%), subscriptions to the internet (11.4%) and kennel fees (20%).

But milk was said to have dropped 5.2%, eggs were down 9.8% and tea was 18.7% cheaper.

Using the retail prices index, which measures inflation differently, inflation was 3.5% higher.