Economists polled by Reuters had forecast GDP would drop by 0.2% in November from October.

Friday's data also showed that in the three months to the end of November, the economy shrank by 0.3%, the same as the 0.3% contraction forecast in the Reuters poll.

Britain's economy contracted in the three months to the end of September, and a fall in output in the three months to Dec. 31 would count as a recession, based on the definition of two consecutive quarters of contraction commonly used in Europe.

(Reporting by David Milliken and Andy Bruce; editing by Sarah Young)

By David Milliken