GREEKS woke up yesterday to another round of price rises as VAT rose for the sixth time in six years.

Years of “austerity” have seen the economy shrink by a quarter and unemployment stands at almost 25 per cent, while EU-mandated attacks on wages and pensions have left working people poorer — but prices are now due to rise on many basics including coffee, beer, TV and phone subscriptions and internet use.

Greece’s Syriza-led government imposed the price rises in order to gain access to €10.3 billion (£8bn) in bailout funds that had been frozen by the eurozone group of EU finance ministers.