LONDON (Reuters) -British inflation held steady in August but rose in the services sector which is closely watched by the Bank of England, data showed on Wednesday, adding to bets in financial markets that the central bank will keep interest rates on hold on Thursday.

U.K. inflation came in at 2.2% for the month of August, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Wednesday. The headline consumer price index (CPI) reading matched analyst expectations, according to economists polled by Reuters,

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the main measure of inflation and this shows how the prices of goods and services have changed over time - here is what it means for you