Britain's public finances deteriorated further last month as tax receipts were hit by the weaker economy.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed the public purse recorded a surplus of £2.5 billion in October, far below the £5.9 billion surplus at the same month last year.

The public finances usually record a surplus in October, which is a key month for corpor-ation tax receipts.

Economists blamed the deterioration on lower receipts, partly due to the weaker economic background.

Corporation tax re-ceipts in October came in at £7.1 billion, against the £9.7 billion recorded the same month last year.

The continued weakening in the figures means public finances have worsened by £10.9 billion in the fiscal year since April.

For the year so far the public finances recorded a deficit of £5.2 billion, against the same time last year when a surplus of £5.7 million was recorded.

The worsening figures make it increasingly likely Chancellor Gordon Brown will have to revise his borrowing figures in next week's pre-Budget report.

On the Government's preferred measure, the deficit for the year so far now stands at £10.3 billion, against a surplus this time last year of £2.6 billion.

Mr Brown forecast in his April Budget that borrowing for the year would hit £11 billion.

Economists expect the public purse to over-shoot this number significantly.

George Buckley, economist at Deutsche Bank, expected the Chancellor to revise the borrowing figures to between £15 billion and £20 billion. He said: "There has been a sharp weakening in the public finances."