The UK inflation rate stayed at 3% in the year to February, largely in line with expectations, driven mostly by a rise in the price of clothing. The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) were collected before the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, which is expected to speed up the pace of price rises. Annual inflation, which measures the rate of price increases over a year, remained the same as it was in January after months of steady falls. Although the inflation rate has dropped since its high a few years ago, prices themselves are not coming down, but simply rising at a slower pace. Chief economist of the Office for National Statistics Grant Fitzner said: "After last month's slowdown, annual inflation was unchanged." "The largest upwards driver was the price of clothing, which rose this month but fell a year ago.…