Early estimates for the three months to last December showed a drop in construction workloads of 3.3% which contributed to a shock fall in GDP of 0.5%

The actual construction fall has now been revised to 2.5% compared to the third quarter of 2010 which reduces the overall GDP drop to 0.4%

The figures show all new work fell by 2% and repair and maintenance fell by 3.7% on the previous three months.

But the total volume of construction output in the fourth quarter of 2010 rose by 8% compared with the same quarter in 2009 as all new work increased by 14.5% and repair and maintenance decreased by 3.3%.