UK interest rates have been held at a record low of 0.5% by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.

Concerns about the strength of the economic recovery and the eurozone debt crisis meant that economists had expected rates to remain unchanged.

Interest rates have been kept at 0.5% since March 2009.

The Bank did not announce any increase in its policy of quantitative easing. In October, the Bank said it would pump another £75bn into the economy.

The Bank had already pumped £200bn into the economy with asset purchases between March 2009 and February 2010.