UK gold hallmarking dropped to the lowest since at least 2007 as higher local prices helped curb demand. The country's four assay offices hallmarked 246,993 items in February, down 14% from a year earlier, according to data from the BirminghamBSE 0.00 % office.
That's the lowest on record for data going back to January 2008, when monthly figures were first collated. Britain's economy shrank 0.3% in the fourth quarter as exports fell and an uncertain outlook depressed company investment, government data showed on February 27.

Source - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com