Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 2.4% in the first three months of the year from the final quarter of 2008, said the Office for National Statistics.

"GDP in real terms fell by 2.4% compared with the previous quarter, revised down from last month's estimate of 1.9%. This is the largest decrease since the second quarter of 1958," the ONS said in a statement.

"Around half the revision... is a result of new construction output data, while the remainder reflects more complete data for services," it added.

On a year-on-year basis, the economy declined by 4.9% in the first quarter, the largest contraction since records began in 1948, and compared to the statistic office's earlier estimate of minus 4.1%.

The ONS on Tuesday added that GDP had stood at minus 0.1% in the second quarter of 2008 rather than showing flat growth, meaning the current recession began earlier than expected.