UK unemployment has increased by 70,000 to 2.56 million between December and February, with rises among young people and those out of work for more than a year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

The total is the worst since last summer, giving the UK a jobless rate of 7.9%.

The number of people in work fell by 2,000 in the latest quarter to February, to just under 30 million - the first time the figure has dipped since autumn 2011.

ONS data revealed that 900,000 people have been out of work for more than a year, an 8,000 increase on the three months to November, while the number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds rose by 20,000 to 979,000.

There was a 7,000 fall in Jobseeker's Allowance claimants last month, to 1.53 million.

Meanwhile, the rise in average earnings continued to lag behind inflation, with total pay increasing by just 0.8% in the year to February, down by 0.4% on the previous month.

Statisticians said it was the lowest growth rate since the end of 2009, while the 1% rise in regular pay, which excludes bonuses, was the lowest since records began in 2001.

The number of people classed as economically inactive, including students, people on long-term sick leave or those who have given up looking for work, fell by 57,000 to 8.95 million.

Despite the increase in unemployment, the total is 71,000 lower than a year ago. There has been a 62,000 fall in the number of people in part-time jobs, to just over eight million, with a 60,000 increase in full-time employment, to 21.6 million.