Britain recorded a smaller-than-expected seasonal budget surplus of 16.7 billion pounds ($21.08 billion)in January, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday.

A Reuters poll of economists had a median forecast for a surplus of 18.7 billion pounds for public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, for January, reflecting seasonal inflows of income tax payments. ($1 = 0.7924 pounds) (Reporting by Suban Abdulla; editing by William James)