UK manufacturers' group, the EEF, has said that manufacturers are of the view that industry will not return to pre-recession levels before 2011.

The EEF warned that struggling industry will see a modest recovery this year after giving poor performance last year in wake of recession.

In a fresh survey of sentiment, it found that manufacturers expect production to increase by an average of 1.2 per cent in 2010, before soaring to 3.4 per cent in 2011.

The EEF also said that the economy as a whole will expand by 0.9 per cent in 2010.

Commenting on the topic, EEF chief economist Lee Hopley said, "The outlook for the UK economy this year is far from certain."

The EEF surveyed over 600 manufacturers across the UK.

Separately, the National Institute of Economic & Social Research said that the British economy grew 0.3 per cent between September and December last year. It was the first quarterly growth since the start of 2008.