LONDON, Sept 13: British unemployment fell for a second month in a row in August, official data showed on Wednesday, but the data was overshadowed by a probe into why British Prime Minister Tony Blair broke an embargo on the release.

The number of people claiming jobless benefits in Britain fell by 3,900 in August to 950,100, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The unemployment rate stood at 3 per cent in August, unchanged from July.

Analysts' consensus forecast had been for an increase of 5,000 claiming benefits in August. The month's data was not a total surprise, however, as Blair had let slip on Monday that it would be positive.—AFP