British consumer price inflation hit an annual rate of 9.0% in April, the highest since official estimates began in the late 1980s, data showed on Wednesday. Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a reading of 9.1%.Te Office for National Statistics said consumer price inflation was probably last higher sometime around 1982. Finance minister Rishi Sunak, under pressure to offer more help to households, said countries around the world were being hit by high inflation and the jump in the British data for April reflected last month’s increase in regulated energy tariffs.