Eurozone economic recovery hopes have been thwarted by an unexpectedly sharp fall in industrial production that suggested continental Europe’s recession was only slowly losing its ferocity.

Industrial production in the 16-country region tumbled by 1.9 per cent in April, further extending the precipitous falls since the second half of last year, according to Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical office. Compared with April 2008, production was 21.6 per cent lower – the steepest year-on-year fall since records began in January 1991.